Continuity of eigenvalues and shape optimisation for Laplace and Steklov problems (Q2232151)

In this important paper, the authors continue the work initiated in two other recent papers, [\textit{A. Girouard} et al., Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 239, No. 2, 981--1023 (2021; Zbl 1458.35040)] and [\textit{A. Girouard} and \textit{J. Lagacé}, Invent. Math. 226, No. 3, 1011--1056 (2021; Zbl 1477.58019)] about the properties of Steklov eigenvalues, in particular their links with Neumann eigenvalues. Let me give the main results in the Euclidean case, but most of the Theorems are also stated and proved in the case of a compact Riemannian manifold. Let $\Omega$ be a smooth ($C^1$) open set in $\mathbb{R}^d$ and $\beta(x)$ a positive function with good integrability properties. We will denote by $\lambda_k(\Omega,\beta)$ the eigenvalues of the following weighted Neumann problem: $$ \left\lbrace\begin{array}{lc} -\Delta v =\lambda \beta(x) v & \mbox{in } \Omega, \\ \dfrac{\partial v}{\partial n} =0 & \mbox{on } \partial\Omega \\ \end{array}\right. $$ and by $\sigma_k(\Omega)$ the eigenvalues of the Steklov problem $$ \left\lbrace\begin{array}{lc} \Delta u =0 & \mbox{in } \Omega, \\ \dfrac{\partial u}{\partial n} =\sigma u & \mbox{on } \partial\Omega . \\ \end{array}\right. $$ It is natural to normalize these eigenvalues in the following way: $$ \bar{\lambda}_k(\Omega):=\lambda_k(\Omega) Vol(\Omega)^{\frac{2}{d}},\qquad \bar{\sigma}_k(\Omega):=\sigma_k(\Omega) \dfrac{\mathcal{H}^{d-1}(\partial \Omega)}{ Vol(\Omega)^{\frac{d-2}{d}}}. $$ One of the main result in this paper is the following sharp bound for plane domains: $$ \sup_{\Omega\subset \mathbb{R}^2} \bar{\sigma}_k = 8k\pi . $$ The inequality $\bar{\sigma}_k \leq 8k\pi$ was well known, but the sharpness of this inequality was open, even for $k=1$. To prove it, the authors construct a maximizing sequence by removing small disks from $\Omega$ in an appropriate way. They also prove that the number of boundary components of a maximizing sequence (for $k=1$) needs to be unbounded and they provide a quantitative bound of $ \bar{\sigma}_1$ in terms of this number of boundary components. A consequence of their analysis is that any maximizing sequence of planar domains for $\bar{\sigma}_1$ with fixed perimeter must collapse to a point. Considering the link between Steklov and (weighted) Neumann eigenvalues, they prove the following: for any positive function $\beta(x)$ in $L^{d/2}(\Omega)$ ($d\geq 3$) or in $L^1(\log L)^1(\Omega)$ ($d=2$), one can find a sequence $\Omega_\varepsilon$ such that $$ \bar{\sigma}_k(\Omega_\varepsilon) \to \bar{\lambda}_k(\Omega,\beta). $$ (same result for a compact Riemannian manifold). They are also able to find a sequence $\Omega_\varepsilon$ of plane domains such that $$ \bar{\sigma}_1(\Omega_\varepsilon) \to 8\pi \quad \mbox{ and } \bar{\lambda}_k(\Omega_\varepsilon) \to 0 \ \mbox{for each }k. $$ Let me finally mention that this paper contains more interesting results. In particular, the authors consider eigenvalues associated to any Radon measure on a compact Riemannian manifold and they study continuity properties of the eigenvalues for convergence of these measures.