Wulff clusters in \(\mathbb{R}^2\) (Q1296923)

Given a norm \(\Phi\) on \({\mathbb R}^{2},\) one can define a functional on curves in \({\mathbb R}^{2}\) by assigning to the curve \(C\) the value \[ \int_{C}\Phi(T) ds, \] where \(T\) represents the unit tangent to the curve which is assumed to be defined at almost every point. Typically, this functional is also denoted by \(\Phi(C).\) If the norm \(\Phi\) is the usual Euclidean norm, then the functional \(\Phi(C)\) is simply the length of \(C.\) More general norms lead to interesting phenomena. For instance, when \(\Phi\) is not strictly convex, there are generally \(\Phi\)-minimizing paths that fail to be differentiable on a dense set (though a straight line is always a \(\Phi\)-minimizing path). It is natural to consider minimizing \(\Phi(C)\) among closed curves bounding a given area. The solution to that problem is now classical and is given by the boundary of a homothety of the so-called Wulff shape \[ W = \{w\in{\mathbb R}^{2}: w^{\bot}\cdot v\leq\Phi(v),\;\forall v\}. \] The paper under review investigates the analogous problem when several regions of various areas are to be enclosed and separated from each other by a system of curves. The main result of this paper is that such a \(\Phi\)-minimizing system exists for any finite set of prescribed areas and each curve of the system is either a \(\Phi\)-minimizing curve for its two boundary points or is a portion of the boundary of a homothety of the Wulff shape. Further, at most four curves of the system meet at a point, and when curves in the system meet differentiably at a point, their unit tangent vectors are \(\Phi\)-minimizing for their boundary points. The arguments rely on geometric comparisons.