Mathematics

We start to investigate the existence of conformal minimizers for the Dirichlet functional in the setting of the so-called semicartesian parametrizations, adapting to this context some techniques used in solving the classical Plateau's problem. The final goal is to find area minimizing semicartesian parametrizations spanning a Jordan curve obtained as union of two graphs; this problem appeared in the study of the relaxed area functional for maps from the plane to the plane jumping on a line.