CMC (Constant Mean Curvature) surfaces which have the same mean curvature everywhere on the surface. Minimal surfaces are the subset of CMC surfaces where the curvature is zero everywhere.

Physical processes which can be modeled by CMC surfaces include the formation of soap bubles, both free and attached to objects. A soap bubble, unlike a simple soap film, encloses a volume and exists in an equilibrium where slightly greater pressure inside the bubble is balanced by the area-minimizing forces of the bubble itself.

CMC Surfaces Topics

• CMC Surface Families

• CMC Surface Examples

• The ^ Constant Mean Curvature Surface page at the ^ Center for Geometry, Analysis, Numerics and Graphics contains images, movies, and models of CMC surfaces such as delaunay surfaces and other unduloids, and various cylinders and n-noids.
• ^Karsten Grosse-Brauckmann's page at the University of Bonn has some CMC surface examples and web links to others in the field.
• The ^Selected Mathematical Images page of John M. Sullivan contains several beautifully rendered images of bubbles and foams (CMC surfaces).