Let M2 be a (connected) surface in Euclidean 3-space E3, and let G:M2→S2(1) ⊂ E3 be its Gauss map. Then, according to a theorem of E. A. Ruh and J. Vilms [3], M2 is a surface of constant mean curvature if and only if, as a map from M2 to S2(1), G is harmonic, or equivalently, if and only if
where δ is the Laplace operator on M2 corresponding to the induced metric on M2 from E3 and where G is seen as a map from M2to E3. A special case of (1.1) is given by
i.e., the case where the Gauss map G:M2→E3 is an eigenfunction of the Laplacian δ on M2.