A new symmetry criterion based on the distance function and applications to PDE's (Q2434383)

In this plainly written paper, the authors motivate their research with references to a number of results inspired by the celebrated symmetry theorem proved by \textit{J. Serrin} [Arch.\ Ration.\ Mech.\ Anal.\ 43, 304--318 (1971; Zbl 0222.31007)] and then by \textit{H. F. Weinberger} [Arch.\ Ration.\ Mech.\ Anal.\ 43, 319--320 (1971; Zbl 0222.31008)]. In order to explain the main contribution, it is necessary to introduce the \textit{cut value} \(\lambda(y)\) of a point~\(y\) on the boundary of a smooth bounded domain~\(\Omega \subset \mathbb R^n\), \(n \geq 2\): denoting by \(\nu = \nu(y)\) the outer normal at~\(y\), the cut value \(\lambda(y) > 0\) is the length of the line segment \(x(t) = y - t \, \nu\), \(t \in [0,\lambda(y)]\), from \(y \in \partial \Omega\) up to the closest intersection with some similar segment coming from another boundary point. The cut value \(\lambda(y)\) enters the definition of the function \[ \varphi(y) = \int_0^{\lambda(y)} \, \prod_{j = 1}^{n - 1} \Big(1 - t \, \kappa_j(y)\Big) \;dt . \tag{1} \] As usual, \(\kappa_1(y), \dots, \allowbreak \kappa_{n - 1}(y)\) denote the principal curvatures at~\(y\) with respect to the inner normal \(-\nu\) (hence \(\kappa_j \geq 0\) for all \(j = 1, \dots, n - 1\) when \(\Omega\) is convex). Theorem~1 deals with a bounded domain \(\Omega\) of class \(C^2\) in~\(\mathbb R^n\), starshaped with respect to the origin in the sense that \(y \cdot \nu(y) > 0\) along~\(\partial \Omega\). The first claim of the theorem asserts that if the inequality \[ \varphi(y_0) \geq \frac{|\Omega|}{\, |\partial \Omega| \,} \tag{2} \] occurs at some boundary point \(y_0 \in \partial \Omega\), where the mean curvature \(H(y) = \frac1{n - 1}(\kappa_1(y) \allowbreak + \dots + \kappa_{n - 1}(y))\) attains its maximum, then \(\Omega\) is a ball. The proof relies on the classical theorem by \textit{A. D. Aleksandrov} [Transl., Ser. 2, Am. Math. Soc. 21, 341--354, 354--388 (1962; Zbl 0122.39601)], see also [Ann. Mat. Pura Appl. (4) 58, 303--315 (1962; Zbl 0107.15603)], asserting that the only closed surface having constant mean curvature is the sphere. Let us outline the main ideas in order to show that \(H(y)\) is constant. According to the Minkowski integral formula for the mean curvature, the area \(|\partial \Omega|\) equals the flux of the vector field \(H(y) \, y\) through the surface \(\partial \Omega\): \[ |\partial \Omega| = \int_{\partial \Omega} H(y) \, y \cdot \nu(y) \, dS . \] The formula is obtained, for instance, by letting \(r = 1\) in equality~(2) of \textit{A. Ros} [Rev.\ Mat.\ Iberoam.\ 3, No.~3--4, 447--453 (1987, Zbl 0673.53003)]. By starshapedness (and by the divergence theorem) the following relation with the volume is established: \[ |\partial \Omega| = \int_{\partial \Omega} H(y) \, y \cdot \nu(y) \, dS \leq H(y_0) \int_{\partial \Omega} y \cdot \nu(y) \, dS = n \, H(y_0) \, |\Omega| . \] This and assumption~(2) imply \(\varphi(y_0) \, H(y_0) \geq \frac1n\). In contrast, the authors manage to show that \(\varphi(y) \, H(y) \leq \frac 1n\) throughout \(\partial \Omega\), hence the last displayed inequality holds with equality. Consequently, \(H(y) = H(y_0)\) for all \(y \in \partial \Omega\), and therefore the Aleksandrov theorem applies. The second claim of Theorem~1 asserts that if \(\varphi(y)\) is constant along \(\partial \Omega\), then \(\Omega\)~is a ball. Indeed, the authors show that the mean value of \(\varphi(y)\) over~\(\partial \Omega\) equals the ratio \(|\Omega| / |\partial \Omega|\), and the conclusion follows from the first claim. Applications to a system of Monge-Kantorovich type, as well as to ``partially web solutions'' of equations in divergence form are discussed. A similar product involving the principal curvatures as the one in~(1) was used by \textit{R. Magnanini} and \textit{S. Sakaguchi} [Math. Methods Appl. Sci. 36, No. 15, 2023--2032 (2013; Zbl 1279.35062)] dealing with radial symmetry for parabolic problems.