A note on common zeroes of Laplace-Beltrami eigenfunctions (Q1770914)

Let \((M,g)\) be a closed, connected, and orientable Riemannian manifold and \(u,v\) two eigenfunctions of the Laplace-Beltrami operator in the same eigenspace. The author proves: (1) If \(H^1(M)=0\), then \(u\) and \(v\) have a common zero on \(M\); (2) If \(M\) is a homogeneous space of a compact Lie group of isometries, then the converse is true, i.e., \(H^1(M)\neq 0\) implies the existence of at least one pair \(u,v\) without common zeroes. As a consequence, the author answers a question posed in [\textit{J. Galindo, P. de la Harpe} and \textit{T. Vust}, J. Lie Theory 12, 535--538 (2002; Zbl 0995.22002)]: every orbit of a compact, connected irreducible linear group acting on a complex vector space \(V\) meets any given hyperplane of \(V\).