Fundamental gaps of spherical triangles (Q2076528)

Given a domain \(\Omega\) in \(\mathbb{S}^2\), the fundamental (or mass) gap is the difference between the first two eigenvalues \(\lambda_2 - \lambda_1 > 0\) of the Laplacian on \(\Omega\) with Dirichlet boundary condition. \par The main result of the article under review reads as follows: The equilateral spherical triangle with angle \(\pi/2\) is a strict local minimum for the gap on the space of the spherical triangles with diameter \(\pi/2\). Moreover \[ \lambda_2(T(t)) - \lambda_1 (T(t)) \geq \lambda_2(T(0)) - \lambda_1 (T(0)) + \frac{16}{\pi}t + O(t^2), \] where \(T(t)\) is the triangle with vertices \((0, 0)\), \((\pi/2, 0)\) and \((\pi/2 - bt, \pi/2 - at)\) with \(a^2 + b^2 = 1\), \(a \geq 0\), \(b \geq 0\) under geodesic polar coordinates centered at the north pole. \par This theorem is similar to a result by \textit{Z. Lu} and \textit{J. Rowlett} [Commun. Math. Phys. 319, No. 1, 111--145 (2013; Zbl 1310.58008)] for the gap of triangles on the plane and is obtained by the same method, i.e., by computing and estimating the first derivatives of \(\lambda_1\) and \(\lambda_2\) at \(t=0\).