Estimates for the torsion function and Sobolev constants (Q415354)

Let \(\Omega \subseteq \mathbb R^m\) be an open set and let \(u : \Omega \rightarrow \mathbb R^{ + }\) be the expected lifetime of Brownian motion in \(\Omega \). It is shown that if \(u \in L ^{p }(\Omega )\) for some \(p \in [1, \infty )\) then (i) \(u \in L ^{q }(\Omega )\) for all \(q \in [p, \infty ]\), and (ii) trace \(\left( e^ {t \Delta_{\Omega}} \right) < \infty \) for all \(t > 0\), where \(- \Delta _{\Omega }\) is the Dirichlet Laplacian acting in \(L ^{2}(\Omega )\). Pointwise bounds are obtained for \(u\) in terms of the first Dirichlet eigenfunction for \(\Omega \), assuming that the spectrum of \(- \Delta _{\Omega }\) is discrete. It is shown that if \(\Omega \) is open, bounded and connected in the plane and \(\partial\Omega\) has an interior wedge with opening angle \(\alpha \) at vertex \(v\) then the first Dirichlet eigenfunction and \(u\) are comparable near \(v\) if and only if \(\alpha \geq \pi /2\). Two sided estimates are obtained for the Sobolev constant: \[ c_{\Omega}^ {-1} \| \delta \| _ {2p/(2-p)} ^ {-2} \leq C_p (\Omega) \leq 4 (2-p)^ {-2} c^ {8/(2-p)} \| \delta \| _ {2p/(2-p)} ^ {-2} \] where \(C_p(\Omega):= \inf\left\{\| \nabla u \|_2^2: u \in C_0^{\infty}(\Omega),\;\| u\|_p = 1\right\}\) and \(0 < p < 2\), provided \(- \Delta _{\Omega }\) satisfies a strong Hardy inequality, and the distance to the boundary function \(\delta \) belongs to \(L ^{2p/(2 - p)}(\Omega )\).