Partial regularity for the optimal \(p\)-compliance problem with length penalization (Q2062974)

The author studies the shape optimization problem of \(p\)-compliance, with length penalization, in any dimension \(N\ge 2\). Given an open, bounded ambient space \(\Omega\subset \mathbb{R}^N\), an integrability exponent \(p\in (N-1, +\infty)\), and a source \(f\in L^q(\Omega)\) with \(q>q_1(p)\), one looks for closed, connected proper subsets \(\Sigma \subset \overline{\Omega}\) minimizing the \(p\)-compliance energy at \(\Sigma\) plus the length of \(\Sigma\) itself. The author proves that there exists \(\alpha\in (0,1)\) such that the optimal shape \(\Sigma\) is \(\mathcal{H}^1\)-almost everywhere locally inside \(\Omega\) a curve of class \(C^{1,\alpha}\) (Theorem~1.3). Moreover, neither can \(\Sigma\) contain loops, that is, homeomorphic images of \(\mathbb{S}^1\) (Theorem~1.4), nor can \(\Sigma \cap \Omega\) have quadruple points (Proposition~1.5).