Invariant surface area functionals and singular Yamabe problem in 3-dimensional CR geometry

Abstract We express two CR invariant surface area elements in terms of quantities in pseudohermitian geometry. We deduce the Euler–Lagrange equations of the associated energy functionals. Many solutions are given and discussed. In relation to the singular CR Yamabe problem, we show that one of the energy functionals appears as the coefficient (up to a constant multiple) of the log term in the associated volume renormalization.