Symmetry of constrained minimizers of the Cahn-Hilliard energy on the torus (Q2183447)

The article starts with the presentation of the Cahn-Hillard model. Denote by \(\mathbb{T}_{\mathcal{l}}\) the \(d\)-dimensional torus with side length 2\(\mathcal{l}\), \(\phi\) a small positive parameter and, for any function \(u\), define the energy as an integral on the torus , \(\mathcal {E}_ {\phi}\). One investigates the constrained minimizers of the energy over the set of 2\(\mathcal{l}\) -- periodic functions with fixed mean and volume. The main result for constrained minimizers of the Cahn-Hillard energy gives a sufficient condition for such a minimizer to equal its iterated Steiner symmetrization. There is an extensive presentation of the Steiner symmetrization on the torus and sufficient conditions for a function on the torus to be equal to its Steiner symmetrization are obtained. Steiner symmetrization technology is applied to prove the main result. An alternative proof is given by applying the so-called two-point rearrangement.