Genus two embedded minimal surfaces in $\mathbb{S}^3$ with dihedral symmetry

Abstract

We prove that the Lawson surface $ξ_{2,1}$ is the unique closed embedded minimal surface of genus $2$ in $\mathbb{S}^3$ whose isometry group contains the dihedral group $D_4$ generated by two reflections across orthogonal totally geodesic two-spheres and a half-turn about a great circle. This weakens the full-symmetry hypotheses in previous characterizations of Lawson surfaces and leads to a substantially different geometric problem.