Helicoid Minimal Surface

Written by Paul Bourke

December 2000

x = c v cos(u)
y = c v sin(u)
z = u

-infinity <= u <= infinity
-infinity <= v <= infinity

The helicoid was first documented by J. Meusnier around 1775, it was the first unbounded nonperiodic minimal surface to be found. In additin, besides the plane it is the only known ruled minimal surface (zero mean curvature).