An elementary proof for the double bubble problem in \(\ell^1\) norm (Q2105913)

The double bubble theorem states that, for any two volumes, the standard double bubble is the minimum area shape that encloses them; no other set of surfaces encloses the same amount of space with less total area. The proof of the double bubble theorem was given in \(\mathbb R^2\) and \(\mathbb R^3\) by \textit{M. Hutchings} et al. [Ann. Math. (2) 155, No. 2, 459--489 (2002; Zbl 1009.53007)]. In this paper, the authors study the anisotropic version of the double bubble theorem in \(\mathbb R^2\) in the case that the perimeter is associated to the \(l^1\) norm. To be precise, for any given simple curve \(\lambda:[a,b]\rightarrow \mathbb R^2 \), where \(\lambda(t)=(x(t),y(t))\), the \(l^1\)-lenght of the curve is defined by setting \[ \rho(\lambda):=\sup_{P\in\mathcal P}\sum_{i=1}^N\Bigl(|x(t_{i+1})-x({t_i})|+|y(t_{i+1})-y({t_i})|\Bigr), \] where \(\mathcal P\) denotes the family of partition of \([a,b]\), \[ \mathcal{P}=\left\{P=\{t_1,\dots,t_N\}, \mbox{ such that }a\leq t_1\leq\dots t_N\leq b\right\}. \] The authors give an elementary proof for the existence of minimizing sets for any volume ratio parameter \(0<\alpha\leq 1\) by direct comparison to a small family of parameterized sets. By simple analysis on this family, they obtain the minimizing shapes found in [\textit{F. Morgan} et al., J. Geom. Anal. 8, No. 1, 97--115 (1998; Zbl 0934.49024)].