Riesz-type inequalities and overdetermined problems for triangles and quadrilaterals (Q2074502)

Let us consider the nonlocal energy $\mathcal{E}$ defined on plane measurable sets with finite measure by $$\mathcal{E}(E):=\int_E\int_E K(|x-y|) dx\,dy$$ where the kernel $K$ satisfies \begin{itemize} \item[(i)] $K\geq 0$ and $K$ is $C^1$ on $(0,+\infty)$, \item[(ii)] $K$ is strictly decreasing, \item[(iii)] $\int_0^1 rK(r) dr <+\infty$. \end{itemize} Note that $K$ can be singular at the origin but condition (iii) ensures that $\mathcal{E}$ is well defined. A prototype of a classical such $K$ is the Riesz kernel: $K(r)=r^{-\alpha}$ with $\alpha \in (0,2)$. In the continuous setting, it is well known that the ball maximizes $\mathcal{E}$ among sets of given measure. In this paper, the authors are interested in the same question among polygons with a fixed number of sides. It is a very classical question, initiated by Polyà and Szegö to try to extend isoperimetric inequalities to this particular class of sets. Thus let us consider the following problem $$(P_N)\qquad \max\{\mathcal{E}(P), P \mbox{ is a polygon with }N\text{ sides}, |P|=m\}$$ The authors prove that the equilateral triangle is the (unique) solution of $(P_3)$ while the square is the (unique) solution of $(P_4)$. The proof is very classical, making use of the Steiner symmetrization that preserves triangles and quadrilaterals. Of course, this method does not extend for $N\geq 5$. Then the authors prove that the equilateral triangle and the square are the only critical points (among triangles and quadrilaterals) for two specific perturbations: the first one consists in translating a side parallel to itself, the second one by rotating a side with respect to its midpoint.