EMBEDDED PLATEAU PROBLEM

We show that if Gamma is a simple closed curve bounding an embedded disk in a closed 3-manifold M, then there exists a disk Sigma in M with boundary Gamma such that Sigma minimizes the area among the embedded disks with boundary Gamma. Moreover, Sigma is smooth, minimal and embedded everywhere except where the boundary Gamma meets the interior of Sigma. The same result is also valid for homogeneously regular manifolds with sufficiently convex boundary.