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Applejacks
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Homework Statement
Prove that there are no tubes that are minimal surfaces
Homework Equations
F(u, v) = γ(u) + R(cosuN(v) + sinuB(v))
The Attempt at a Solution
A tube is defined to be the surface formed by drawing circles with constant radius in the normal plane in a space curve.
I know that a minimal surface is a surface with a mean curvature of zero. So to prove the tubes aren't minimal surfaces, I need to show that the mean curvature is non-zero. I just don't know what the first step to take here is. Any tips/suggestions?
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