Critical sets of eigenfunctions of the Laplacian (Q441209)

Let \(M\) be an \(n\)-dimensional, connected, closed manifold with metric \(g\) and positive Laplacian \(\Delta\). Let \({\mathcal C}(u)\) be the critical set \({\mathcal C}(u)=\{x\in M, \nabla u(x)=0\}\) for the differentiable function \(u\) defined on \(M\) and let \({\mathcal H}^{m}\) be the \(m\)-dimensional Hausdorff measure. In case of an analytic metric \(g\), the author proves the existence of a constant \(C_M\) such that \( {\mathcal H}^{n-1}({\mathcal C}(u_\lambda))\leq C_M\sqrt\lambda\) for any eigenfunction \(u_{\lambda}\) with eigenvalue \(\lambda\), \textit{i.e.} \(\Delta u_\lambda=\lambda u_\lambda\). The proof follows the general scheme introduced by \textit{H. Donnelly} and \textit{C. Fefferman} [Invent. Math. 93, No. 1, 161--183 (1988; Zbl 0659.58047)] to prove the similar upper bound for the nodal set measure of a Laplacian eigenfunction: it uses Carleman estimates and doubling inequalities. Moreover, using an estimate by \textit{C. Bär} [Commun. Math. Phys. 188, No.3, 709-721 (1997; Zbl 0888.47028)], the author gives, for a smooth metric \(g\), local upper bounds on balls \(B(m,r)\): there exists a constant \(C_M\) and for any point \(m\) a radius \(r_m>0\) such that \( {\mathcal H}^{n-1}({\mathcal C}(u_\lambda)\cap B(m,r))\leq C_M r^{n-1}\sqrt\lambda\) for \(r\in(0,r_m)\) (there is a misprint in the paper: the factor \(r^{n-1}\) is missing in the right member of this inequality). The author conjectures that the same global bound proved in the analytic framework holds also for any smooth metric, similarly to the unsolved Yau's conjecture on the Hausdorff measure for the eigenfunction nodal sets.