Extremal functions and the Chang-Marshall inequality (Q1318187)

The extremal problem \[ \sup\left\{ \Lambda_ \alpha(f):= {1\over 2\pi} \int^{2\pi}_ 0 e^{\alpha| f(e^{i\theta})|^ 2}d\theta,\quad f(0)= 0,\;\| f\|_{\mathcal D}= 1\right\},\tag{*} \] \((0< \alpha\leq 1\) is studied. (\(\|\;\|_{\mathcal D}\) denotes the norm in the Dirichlet space \(\mathcal D\) of functions \(f\) analytic in the unit disk \(\mathbb{D}\) so that \[ \| f\|_{\mathcal D}^ 2:= {1\over \pi} \iint_{\mathbb{D}} | f'(z)|^ 2 dx dy< \infty.) \] The authors show that the functionals \(\Lambda_ \alpha\), \(\alpha< 1\) are weakly continuous and hence (*) has extremal functions. Under the assumption that an extremal function possesses extra smoothness up to the boundary of \(\mathbb{D}\), the authors establish a necessary veriational condition it must satisfy. They show that the function \(f^*(z)= z\) satisfies that condition, and furthermore is, in some sense, a local maximum for all \(\Lambda_ \alpha\), \(\alpha< 1\). A natural conjecture then is that it is in fact a global maximum.