Global Analysis of Minimal Surfaces

The exploration of minimal surfaces is deepened through a focus on existence, regularity, and uniqueness theorems for surfaces with partially free boundaries, highlighting the concept of "edge-crawling." A priori estimates for higher-dimensional minimal surfaces and singular integral minimizers are also discussed, leading to significant Bernstein theorems. Additionally, the book presents a comprehensive global theory, addressing the Douglas problem with Teichmüller theory, deriving index theorems, and introducing a topological perspective through Fredholm vector fields, all reflecting Smale's vision.