On the spectrum of Riemannian G-manifolds (Q1118173)

On a compact Riemannian manifold (M,g) we consider a compact Lie group G acting on M as a group of isometries. For a given irreducible representation \(\rho\) of G, one may single out the \(\rho\)-spectrum, i.e. the set of those eigenvalues \(\lambda\) of the Laplacian \(\Delta\) for which \(\rho\) occurs in the decomposition of the eigenspace \(E_{\lambda}\) into G-invariant irreducible components. Such eigenvalues are called \(\rho\)-eigenvalues. Far reaching results based on this approach have been obtained by \textit{J. Brüning} and \textit{E. Heintze} [Invent. Math. 50, 169-203 (1979; Zbl 0392.58015)] and \textit{H. Donnelly} [Math. Ann. 237, 23-40 (1978; Zbl 0368.53028)]. In the present paper, the main result is a Rayleigh principle for the \(\rho\)-spectrum. It gives a characterization of the \(\rho\)-eigenvalues in which the test functions are restricted to certain subspaces of the \(\rho\)-isotypic component of the Sobolev space \(H^ 1(M)\). The special case in which \(\rho\) is the trivial representation then allows to prove a G-invariant version of Courant's Nodal Theorem. Finally, the method of Cheeger's inequality for the first eigenvalue in the total spectrum is adapted to give a lower bound for the first G-invariant eigenvalue \(\lambda_ 1^ G\). This paper contains parts of the doctoral dissertation of the authoress [Schriftenr. Math. Inst. Univ. Münster, 2. Ser. 47, 139 p. (1988; Zbl 0644.53039)].