The moduli space of complete embedded constant mean curvature surfaces

Abstract

We examine the space of finite topology surfaces in ℝ³ which are complete, properly embedded and have nonzero constant mean curvature. These surfaces are noncompact provided we exclude the case of the round sphere. We prove that the spaceM _k of all such surfaces withk ends (where surfaces are identified if they differ by an isometry of ℝ³) is locally a real analytic variety. When the linearization of the quasilinear elliptic equation specifying mean curvature equal to one has noL ²-nullspace, we prove thatM _k is locally the quotient of a real analytic manifold of dimension 3k−6 by a finite group (i.e. a real analytic orbifold), fork ≥ 3. This finite group is the isotropy subgroup of the surface in the group of Euclidean motions. It is of interest to note that the dimension ofM _k is independent of the genus of the underlying punctured Riemann surface to which Σ is conformally equivalent. These results also apply to hypersurfaces of Hⁿ⁺¹ with nonzero constant mean curvature greater than that of a horosphere and whose ends are cylindrically bounded.