On the Hersch-Payne-Schiffer inequalities for Steklov eigenvalues (Q2430774)

The Hersch-Payne-Schiffer inequalities for the Steklov eigenvalues are studied in this paper. If \(\Omega\) is a simply connected bounded planar domain with Lipschitz boundary \(\partial\Omega\) and \(p\geq 0\) with \(p\in L^\infty(\partial\Omega)\), we consider the problem \(\Delta u = 0\) in \(\Omega\), \(\partial u/\partial\nu= \sigma p u\) on \(\partial\Omega\) (\(\nu\) unit outward normal vector) with \(M=\int_{\partial\Omega} p\). The main result ( Theorem 1.3.1) states that if \(\sigma(\Omega)\) is the \(n\)th eigenvalue, there exists a family \(\Omega_\varepsilon\) of such domains verifying \(\lim\sigma_n(\Omega_\varepsilon)M(\Omega_\varepsilon)= 2\pi n\), \(n= 2,3,\dots\) and \(\lim\sigma_n(\Omega_\varepsilon) \sigma_{n+ 1}(\Omega_\varepsilon) M(\Omega_\varepsilon)^2= 4\pi^2 n^2\). These domains degenerate into a union of \(n\) identical disks when \(\varepsilon\) goes to \(0\). This implies that the inequalities are sharp for all \(n> 1\). It is also proved that \(\sigma_2(\Omega)M(\Omega)< 4\pi\) (Theorem 1.3.6) by using 2 the Riemann mapping theorem.