Solution branching of a general perimeter partition problem (Q1267342)

The author studies the following abstract version of an isoperimetric partition problem: \[ \begin{aligned} \text{Maximize} &\quad \sum_{i=1}^m f(x_i),\\ \text{subject to} &\quad \sum_{i=1}^m x_i= mc, \quad 0\leq x_1\leq\dots \leq x_m\leq 1, \end{aligned} \] where \(c\in (0,1)\) and \(f\) is a \(C^2\) function for which there is a point \(\xi_1\in (0,1)\) such that \(f''(x)>0\) for \(x\in (0,\xi_1)\) and \(f''(x)<0\) for \(x\in (\xi_1,1)\). The solution of this problem is related to the \(\mu\)-point convexity defect of \(f\), defined, for \(\mu\in (0,1)\), by \[ \mu_{\varphi_f}(x):= \begin{cases} (1-\mu)f(0)+ \mu f((1/\mu)x)- f(x) &\text{for }x<\mu,\\ \mu f(1)+ (1-\mu) f((x-\mu)/(1-\mu))- f(x) &\text{for }x\geq\mu. \end{cases} \] For each \(k= 1,2,\dots\), the zero \(\xi_k\) of the \(1/k\)-point convexity defect of \(f\) defines a branching point \((1/m)(k\xi_k+ m-k)\) of the parameter \(c\) between the symmetric optimal solution \(x_1=\dots= x_m= c\) of the partition problem and nonsymmetric optimal solutions.