The Nirenberg problem in a domain with boundary (Q1922771)

The well-known and much studied Nirenberg problem is to determine whether a given function \(K\) on \(S^n\) is the scalar curvature of a metric \(g\) on \(S^n\) which is pointwise conformal to the standard metric \(g_0\) on \(S^n\). Recently this problem was studied by \textit{J. Q. Liu} and \textit{P. L. Li} [Int. J. Math. 4, 927-939 (1993; Zbl 0819.35044)] on a two-dimensional hemisphere \(S^2_-\) with the boundary condition that \(\partial S^2_-\) is minimal with respect to the metric \(g\). This reduces to solving a certain nonlinear partial differential equation on \(S^2_-\) with zero Neumann data on \(\partial S^2_-\). Here, the author studies the analogous higher-dimensional problem using some techniques from his papers [J. Differ. Equations 120, 319-410 (1995; Zbl 0827.53039) and Commun. Pure Appl. Math. (to appear)].