Extremal problems for Steklov eigenvalues on annuli (Q493225)

Let \((M,g)\) be a compact Riemannian manifold with non-empty boundary. If \(u\) is a smooth function on \(\partial M\), let \(\tilde u\) be the harmonic extension of \(u\) to \(M\) and let \(L_g(u)=\partial_\nu\tilde u|_{\partial M}\), where \(\partial_\nu\) is the unit outward normal. The eigenvalues of \(L_g\) (which is the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map) are called the Steklov eigenvalues; \(L_g\) is a non-negative self-adjoint first-order elliptic \(\Psi\)DO on \(\partial M\). The authors specialize to the annulus \([0,T]\times S^1\) where the metric is taken to be a rotationally symmetric conformal metric. The authors obtain the supremum of the \(k\)-th normalized Steklov eigenvalue in this setting and give a geometric description in terms of minimal surfaces for the metrics which realize the supremum and exhibit an example of a conformal metric on \([0,T]\times S^1\) where the first normalized Steklov eigenvalue is greater than that of the corresponding rotationally symmetric conformal metric. The first section contains an introduction to the matter at hand. The second contains an upper estimate of the normalized eigenvalues. The third section presents geometric pictures for metrics which attain the maximal values. The fourth section treats Steklov eigenvalues of non-rotational symmetric metrics.