Approximation of sets of finite fractional perimeter by smooth sets and comparison of local and global s-minimal surfaces (Q1655863)

If \(s\in(0,1)\) and \(\Omega\subset\mathbb R^n\) is an open set, then the \(s\)-fractional perimeter of a set \(E\subset\Omega\) is defined as \[ P_s(E,Q)={\mathcal{L}}(E\cap\Omega, E^C\cap\Omega)+{\mathcal{L}}(E\cap\Omega, E^C\setminus\Omega)+{\mathcal{L}}(E\setminus\Omega, E^C\cap\Omega), \] where \({\mathcal{L}}(A,B)=\int_A\int_B\frac1{|x-y|^{n+s}}dx dy\) for every couple of disjoint sets \(A, B\subset\mathbb R^n\). A set \(E\subset\mathbb R^n\) is said to have locally finite \(s\)-perimeter in an open set \(\Omega\subset\mathbb R^n\) if \(P_s(E,\Omega')<\infty\) for every open set \(\Omega'\subset\subset\Omega\). If \(\Omega\subset\mathbb R^n\) and \(s\in(0,1)\), then a set \(E\subset\mathbb R^n\) is said to be \(s\)-minimal in \(\Omega\) if \(P_s(E,\Omega)<\infty\) and \((F\setminus\Omega=E\setminus\Omega\) implies \(P_s(E,\Omega)\leq P_s(F,\Omega)\). If \(E\) is \(s\)-minimal in every open subset \(\Omega'\subset\subset\Omega\), then \(E\) is locally \(s\)-minimal. In this paper, the author considers the approximation of sets of finite fractional perimeter by smooth sets and compares local and global \(s\)-minimal surfaces. First, it is shown that if \(\Omega\subset\mathbb R^n\) is an open set, then a set \(E\subset\mathbb R^n\) has locally finite \(s\)-perimeter in \(\Omega\) if and only if there exists a sequence \(E_h\subset\mathbb R^n\) of open sets with smooth boundary and \(\varepsilon_h\to0^+\) such that (i)\, \(E_h\overset{\text{loc}}{\longrightarrow}E\), \(\sup\limits_{h\in\mathbb N}P_s(E_h,\Omega')<\infty\), (ii)\, \(\lim\limits_{h\to\infty}P_s(E_h,\Omega')=P_s(E,\Omega')\), for every \(\Omega'\subset\subset\Omega\), and (ii)\, \(\partial E_h\subset \{x;\;d(x,\partial E)<\varepsilon_h\}\subset\mathbb R^n\). Moreover, if \(Q=\mathbb R^n\), \(|E|<\infty\), and \(P_s(E)<\infty\), then \(\lim\limits_{h\to\infty}P_s(E_h)=P_s(E)\). Next, the author shows that if \(\Omega\subset\mathbb R^n\) is a bounded open set with Lipschitz boundary and \(E\subset\mathbb R^n\), then the following conditions are equivalent (i)\, \(E\) is \(s\)-minimal in \(\Omega\), (ii)\, \(P_s(E,\Omega)<\infty\) and \(P_s(E,\Omega)\leq P_s(F,\Omega)\) for every \(F\) such that \(E\Delta F\subset\subset\Omega\), and (iii)\, \(E\) is locally \(s\)-minimal in \(Q\). Finally, the author studies existence and compactness of local and global \(s\)-minimal sets.