Classification of the solutions to an overdetermined elliptic problem in the plane (Q2449835)

An overdetermined problem is obtained by associating to a partial differential equation (shortly, a PDE) so many conditions that no solution exists, in general. The situation may be compared, roughly speaking, to a linear algebraic system with more equations than unknowns. Nevertheless, it may well happen that an overdetermined problem does possess a solution in some particular domain \(\Omega\): for instance, a famous result by \textit{J. Serrin} [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 43, 304--318 (1971; Zbl 0222.31007)] and \textit{H. F. Weinberger} [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 43, 319--320 (1971; Zbl 0222.31008)], asserts that the following overdetermined problem: \[ \begin{cases} \Delta u = -1 &\text{in }\Omega ; \\ u = 0 &\text{on }\partial \Omega ; \\ |\nabla u| = \text{const.} &\text{on }\partial \Omega \end{cases} \eqno{\text{(S-W)}} \] in a bounded, smooth domain \(\Omega \subset \mathbb R^N\), \(N \geq 2\), is solvable if and only if \(\Omega\) is a ball. In recent years, special attention has been devoted to the following problem: \[ \begin{cases} \Delta u = 0,\;u > 0 &\text{in }\Omega ; \\ u = 0 &\text{on }\partial \Omega ;\\ |\nabla u| = 1 &\text{on }\partial \Omega . \end{cases} \eqno{(1)} \] Problem (1) differs from Serrin-Weinberger's in several respects. For instance: (i) The PDE is Laplace equation in~(1) and the torsion equation in~(S-W). (ii) The domain \(\Omega\) must be unbounded in order that (1)~is solvable (Serrin and Weinberger considered bounded domains). (iii) By deleting the last condition, problem~(S-W) is turned into a well-posed Dirichlet problem. Problem~(1), instead, becomes ill-posed for lack of existence in bounded domains, lack of uniqueness in unbounded domains. Following \textit{L. Hauswirth} et al. [Pac. J. Math. 250, No. 2, 319--334 (2011; Zbl 1211.35207)], the (unbounded) domains where the overdetermined problem~(1) is solvable are called exceptional. For example, a half space \(\Omega\) is an exceptional domain because the function \(u(x) = \mathrm{dist}\,(x,\partial \Omega)\) provides a solution to~(1). The exterior \(\Omega = \mathbb R^N \setminus \overline B(x_0,R)\) of a ball is also exceptional: in this case the solution \(u\) of (1) is \(u(x)=R \log \frac{x - x_0}R\) if \(N = 2\), and \(u(x) = c_N \, (R^{2 - N} - | x - x_0|^{2 - N})\) for \(N \geq 3\), with \(c_N = R^{N - 1} \! /(N - 2)\). In the special case when \(N = 2\), the domain \(\Omega = \{ (x_1,x_2) : | x_2| < \frac\pi2 + \cosh x_1 \} \subset \mathbb R^2\) is also exceptional: this was noticed by [L. Hauswirth et al., loc. cit.]. In the paper under review, by assuming a mild geometric hypothesis on \(\Omega\), the author establishes a one-to-one correspondence between the following two classes of objects, namely two-dimensional exceptional domains \(\Omega \subset \mathbb R^2\) such that the solution \(u\) of (1) satisfies \(|\nabla u| < 1\) in~\(\Omega\) and minimal bigraphs, i.e. complete, embedded minimal surfaces in \(\mathbb R^3\), symmetric with respect to the horizontal plane \(x_3 = 0\) and which are cut by that plane into two graphs of functions of \((x_1,x_2)\). Examples of two-dimensional exceptional domains and their associated minimal bigraphs (including Scherk's second surface) are given. Geometric conditions on an exceptional domain~\(\Omega \subset \mathbb R^2\) implying that \(|\nabla u| < 1\) are also shown. Furthermore, classification results from minimal surface theory are translated into classification results for exceptional domains. In the proofs, the author identifies \(\mathbb R^2\) with the complex plane, and takes advantage of the theory of functions of a complex variable. Problem~(1) is also investigated in [\textit{D. Khavinson} et al., Pac. J. Math. 265, No. 1, 85--111 (2013; Zbl 1279.31003)]. The problem obtained from~(1) by replacing Laplace equation with the eigenvalue equation \(\Delta u + \lambda u = 0\) is considered in [L. Hauswirth et al., loc. cit.] as well as in [\textit{F. Schlenk} and \textit{P. Sicbaldi}, Adv. Math. 229, No. 1, 602--632 (2012; Zbl 1233.35147)]. See also \textit{A. Ros} and \textit{P. Sicbaldi} [J. Differ. Equations 255, No. 5, 951--977 (2013; Zbl 1284.35297)].