Saddle points and overdetermined problems for the Helmholtz equation

In a seminal 1971 paper, James Serrin showed that the only open, smoothly bounded domain in ⁿ on which the positive Dirichlet eigenfunction of the Laplacian has constant (nonzero) normal derivative on the boundary, is then-dimensional ball. The positivity of the eigenfunction is crucial to his proof. To date it is an open conjecture that the same result is true for Dirichlet eigenvalues other than the least. We show that for simply connected, plane domains, the absence of saddle points is a condition sufficient to validate this conjecture. This condition is also sufficient to prove Schiffer's conjecture: the only simply connected planar domain, on the boundary of which a nonconstant Neumann eigenfunction of the Laplacian can take constant value, is the disc.     

Optimal Shape Problems for Eigenvalues

ABSTRACT

We consider the first Dirichlet eigenvalue for nonhomogeneous membranes. For given volume we want to find the domain which minimizes this eigenvalue. The problem is formulated as a variational free boundary problem. The optimal domain is characterized as the support of the first eigenfunction. We prove enough regularity for the eigenfunction to conclude that the optimal domain has finite parameter. Finally an overdetermined boundary value problem on the regular part of the free boundary is given.     

On Neumann eigenfunctions in lip domains

A ``lip domain' is a planar set lying between graphs of two Lipschitz functions with constant 1. We show that the second Neumann eigenvalue is simple in every lip domain except the square. The corresponding eigenfunction attains its maximum and minimum at the boundary points at the extreme left and right. This settles the ``hot spots' conjecture for lip domains as well as two conjectures of Jerison and Nadirashvili. Our techniques are probabilistic in nature and may have independent interest.

     

Scattering on a Compact Domain with Few Semi‐Infinite Wires Attached: Resonance Case

A Scattering problem is studied for Neumann Laplacian with a continuous potential on a domain with a smooth boundary and few semi‐infinite wires attached to it at the points of contact on the boundary. In resonance case when the frequency of the incoming waves in the wires coincides with some resonance frequency of the domain the approximate formula for the transmission coefficient from one wire to another is derived: in the case of weak interaction between the domain and the wires the transmission coefficient is proportional to the product of values of the corresponding resonance eigenfunction of inner problem at the corresponding points of contact.     

On a possibility of generalization of the Hopf lemma to the case of the Navier-Stokes system with nonzero flows

We examine the Hopf lemma (Leray inequality) which is used in proving the existence of a solution to a nonhomogeneous boundary value problem for the stationary Navier-Stokes equations of an incompressible fluid in a bounded domain. We study a possibility of generalization of a weakened variant of the lemma to the case of nonzero flows through the connected components of the boundary of the domain.     

On the polynomial approximation of a conformal mapping of a domain with nonzero corner

Let G be a bounded domain with a Jordan boundary that is smooth at all points except a single point at which it forms a nonzero corner. We prove Korevaar’s conjecture on the order of polynomial approximation of a conformal mapping of this domain into a disk. We also obtain a pointwise estimate for the error of approximation.     

On the nodal lines of second eigenfunctions of the fixed membrane problem

A well-known conjecture about the second eigenfunction of a bounded domain in ℝ² states that the nodal line has to intersect the boundary in exactly two points. We give sufficient conditions on the domain for this assertion to hold. For special doubly symmetric domains we also prove that λ₂ is simple and that the nodal line of the second eigenfunction lies on one of the axes.     

A toy Neumann analogue of the nodal line conjecture

We introduce an analogue of Payne’s nodal line conjecture, which asserts that the nodal (zero) set of any eigenfunction associated with the second eigenvalue of the Dirichlet Laplacian on a bounded planar domain should reach the boundary of the domain. The assertion here is that any eigenfunction associated with the first nontrivial eigenvalue of the Neumann Laplacian on a domain \(\Omega \) with rotational symmetry of order two (i.e. \(x\in \Omega \) iff \(-x\in \Omega \)) “should normally” be rotationally antisymmetric. We give both positive and negative results which highlight the heuristic similarity of this assertion to the nodal line conjecture, while demonstrating that the extra structure of the problem makes it easier to obtain stronger statements: it is true for all simply connected planar domains, while there is a counterexample domain homeomorphic to a disk with two holes.     

Positive and Nontrivial Solutions for the Urysohn Integral Equation

We establish new criteria for the existence of either positive or nonzero solutions of the Urysohn integral equation. We also discuss the existence of an interval of positive eigenvalues and sufficient conditions for the existence of at least a positive eigenvalue with a nonzero or positive eigenfunction for the Urysohn integral operator. Among others, we employ techniques based on fixed point index theory for compact maps, which are new for this type of equation.     

On a problem for the Navier–Stokes equations with the infinite Dirichlet integral

We study existence of global in time solutions to the Navier–Stokes equations in a two dimensional domain with an unbounded boundary. The problem is considered with slip boundary conditions involving nonzero friction. The main result shows a new L-bound on the vorticity. A key element of the proof is the maximum principle for a reformulation of the problem. Under some restrictions on the curvature of the boundary and the friction the result for large data (including flux) with the infinite Dirichlet integral is obtained.     

Basis Property of the Eigenfunction System of the Gellerstedt Problem in the Elliptic Part of the Domain

The Gellerstedt eigenvalue problem with homogeneous boundary conditions on interior characteristics is studied. We prove that the eigenfunction system of this problem is a Riesz basis in the L₂ space in the elliptic domain.     

Solution of a Gellerstedt problem for the Lavrent’ev-Bitsadze equation

We write out the solution of the Gellerstedt problem for the Lavrent’ev-Bitsadze equation in the form of a series for the case in which the elliptic part of the domain is a half-strip and the boundary data are nonzero only on the characteristics in the hyperbolic parts of the domain. We obtain new results on the basis property, completeness, and minimality of the system of sines with discontinuous phase used in the series representation of the solution of the Gellerstedt problem. We prove the uniform convergence and justify the possibility of term-by-term differentiation of the series.     

Doubling Property and Vanishing Order of Steklov Eigenfunctions

The paper is concerned with the doubling estimates and vanishing order of the Steklov eigenfunctions on the boundary of a smooth domain in ? ⁿ . The eigenfunction is given by a Dirichlet-to-Neumann map. We improve the doubling property shown by Bellova and Lin. Furthermore, we show that the optimal vanishing order of Steklov eigenfunction is everywhere less than Cλ where λ is the Steklov eigenvalue and C depends only on Ω.     

Symmetry theorems for the overdetermined eigenvalue problems

The well-known Schiffer conjecture saying that for a smooth bounded domain Ω⊂Rn, if there exists a positive Neumann eigenvalue such that the corresponding Neumann eigenfunction u is constant on the boundary of Ω, then Ω is a ball. In this paper, we shall prove that the Schiffer conjecture holds if and only if the third order interior normal derivative of the corresponding Neumann eigenfunction is constant on the boundary. We also prove a similar result to the Berenstein conjecture for the overdetermined Dirichlet eigenvalue problem.     

Stability of a finite element method for 3D exterior stationary Navier-Stokes flows

We consider numerical approximations of stationary incompressible Navier-Stokes flows in 3D exterior domains, with nonzero velocity at infinity. It is shown that a P1-P1 stabilized finite element method proposed by C. Rebollo: A term by term stabilization algorithm for finite element solution of incompressible flow problems, Numer. Math. 79 (1998), 283–319, is stable when applied to a Navier-Stokes flow in a truncated exterior domain with a pointwise boundary condition on the artificial boundary.     

On a problem for the Navier–Stokes equations with the infinite Dirichlet integral

We study existence of global in time solutions to the Navier–Stokes equations in a two dimensional domain with an unbounded boundary. The problem is considered with slip boundary conditions involving nonzero friction. The main result shows a new L-bound on the vorticity. A key element of the proof is the maximum principle for a reformulation of the problem. Under some restrictions on the curvature of the boundary and the friction the result for large data (including flux) with the infinite Dirichlet integral is obtained.Received: October 31, 2002; revised: September 17, 2003     

The Bloch Approximation in Periodically Perforated Media

We consider a periodically heterogeneous and perforated medium filling an open domain Ω of ℝ^N. Assuming that the size of the periodicity of the structure and of the holes is O(ε), we study the asymptotic behavior, as ε → 0, of the solution of an elliptic boundary value problem with strongly oscillating coefficients posed in Ω^ε (Ω^ε being Ω minus the holes) with a Neumann condition on the boundary of the holes. We use Bloch wave decomposition to introduce an approximation of the solution in the energy norm which can be computed from the homogenized solution and the first Bloch eigenfunction. We first consider the case where Ωis ℝ^N and then localize the problem for a bounded domain Ω, considering a homogeneous Dirichlet condition on the boundary of Ω.     

Computation of expansion coefficients in a singular harmonic problem

The eigenfunction expansion of a harmonic function in a slit domain around a singular point (end of the slit) is investigated and a boundary integral equation is used for the computation of the coefficients, in the case of a model problem.     

Eigenvalues of the Wentzell–Laplace operator and of the fourth order Steklov problems

We prove a sharp upper bound and a lower bound for the first nonzero eigenvalue of the Wentzell–Laplace operator on compact manifolds with boundary and an isoperimetric inequality for the same eigenvalue in the case where the manifold is a bounded domain in a Euclidean space. We study some fourth order Steklov problems and obtain isoperimetric upper bound for the first eigenvalue of them. We also find all the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions for two kind of fourth order Steklov problems on a Euclidean ball.     

Strong full bounded solutions of nonlinear parabolic equations with nonlinear boundary conditions

We study the existence of (generalized) bounded solutions existing for all times for nonlinear parabolic equations with nonlinear boundary conditions on a domain that is bounded in space and unbounded in time (the entire real line). We give a counterexample which shows that a (weak) maximum principle does not hold in general for linear problems defined on the entire real line in time. We consider a boundedness condition at minus infinity to establish (one-sided) L^∞-a priori estimates for solutions to linear boundary value problems and derive a weak maximum principle which is valid on the entire real line in time. We then take up the case of nonlinear problems with (possibly) nonlinear boundary conditions. By using comparison techniques, some (delicate) a priori estimates obtained herein, and nonlinear approximation methods, we prove the existence and, in some instances, positivity and uniqueness of strong full bounded solutions existing for all times.