No label defined (Q4934548)

Let \(M\) be a compact Riemannian manifold with smooth boundary \(\partial M\), and let \(D\) be an operator of Laplace type acting on a vector bundle \(V\) on \(M\). Consider the heat equation on \(M\): \[ \left\{\begin{aligned} & (\Delta +\partial_t)u(x,t)=p(x,t)\\ &\mathcal B u(y,t)=\psi(y,t)\quad\text{for all}\quad t>0,y\in\partial M\\ &u(x,0)=\phi(x) \end{aligned}\right..\tag{1} \] Its solution \(u(x,t)=u_{p,\phi,\psi}(x,t)\) gives the temperature distribution on \(M\) at the time \(t\); it depends on \(p\in C^{\infty}(V)\), which describes the heat sources and sinks in \(M\), on \(\phi\in C^{\infty}(V)\), which is the initial temperature distribution, and on the boundary conditions. These are defined by the boundary operator \(\mathcal B\) and by a splitting \(\partial M=C_D\cup C_N\) into two disjoint closed sets. Basically \(\mathcal B u=\psi\) means that, on \(C_D\), we keep the boundary at temperature \(\psi\) and, on \(C_D\), we pump heat into the manifold at a rate determined by \(\psi\), where \(\psi\in C^{\infty}(V|_{\partial M})\). The total heat content of \(M\) is by definition the integral: \[ \beta(p,\phi,\psi,\rho)(t)=\int_M \langle u_{p,\phi,\psi}(x,t),\rho(x,t)\rangle dx;\tag{2} \] where \(\rho(x,t)\) is a section of the dual bundle \(\tilde V\), and \(\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle\) is the natural pairing between \(V\) and \(\tilde V\). The heat content (2) is a generalization to operators of Laplace type of the original heat content problem, which has been extensively studied recently, and is when \(D=\Delta\) is the ordinary Laplacian on functions, \(\phi(x)=\rho(x,t)\equiv 1\), \(\psi(y,t)=p(x,t)\equiv 0\), and \(C_N\) is empty; physically, \(\beta(0,1,0,1)\) corresponds to the total heat inside \(M\), at time \(t\), assuming that the initial temperature distribution is constant, equal to \(1\), and that the boundary is kept at zero temperature at all times. It is of interest to examine the small time behavior of the heat content function (2). This is described by an asymptotic series, for \(t\sim 0\): \[ \beta(p,\phi,\psi,\rho)(t)\sim \sum_{n\geq 0}\beta_n(p,\phi,\psi,\rho)t^{n/2}.\tag{3} \] The present paper gives an overview of the calculations of some of the heat content coefficients \(\beta_n(p,\phi,\psi,\rho)\), which were made by the author and his co-workers in various settings, and which appeared in the literature in the past few years; the paper also provides an extended bibliography. More precisely, the original problem \(\beta(0,1,0,1)(t)\) is considered in Theorem 0.1 for a hemisphere in the unit sphere \(S^m\), in Theorem 0.2 for the unit ball in Euclidean space, and in Theorem 0.3 for a general manifold (in particular, the coefficients up and including \(\beta_5(0,1,0,1)\) are written explicitly). General operators of Laplace type, with Neumann or Dirichlet boundary conditions, are considered in Theorem 0.4; mixed boundary conditions are examined in Theorem 0.5, and time dependent operators appear in Theorem 0.11. Formulas are also given for non-minimal operators and for the inhomogeneous situation (see Theorems 0.6-0.10). Finally, the asymptotics of the heat trace [as computed by \textit{T. P. Branson} and \textit{P. B. Gilkey}, Commun. Partial Differ. Equations 15, No. 2, 245-272 (1990; Zbl 0721.58052)] are recalled in Theorem 0.12: these formulas are written here for the purpose of comparison with the heat content asymptotics. This is an interesting point: in fact, it would be desirable to understand possible general relations between the heat trace and the heat content asymptotics. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0924.00036].