Minimal Surfaces from Rigid Motions

Abstract

Equations are derived for the shape of a hypersurface in $\mathbb{R}^N$ for which a rigid motion yields a minimal surface in $\mathbb{R}^{N+1}$. Some elementary, but unconventional, aspects of the classical case $N=2$ (solved by H.F. Scherk in 1835) are discussed in some detail.