No label defined (Q4937709)

Let \(M\) be a compact Riemannian manifold of dimension \(n\), with metric tensor \(g\), and let \(Y\) denote the conformal Laplacian: \[ Y=\Delta_g+\dfrac{n-2}{4(n-1)}S_g \] where \(S_g\) is the scalar curvature of \((M,g)\), and \(\Delta_g\) is the usual Laplacian. The zeta function of \(Y\) is defined, for \(\text{Re}(s)>n/2\), by: \[ Z(s,Y)=\sum_{\lambda_k(Y)\neq 0}\dfrac 1{\lambda_k^s(Y)} \] where \(\lambda_k(Y)\) are the eigenvalues of \(Y\). It has a meromorphic extension, denoted by the same symbol, with simple poles at \(s=-n/2, n/2-1,\dots\), and this extension is regular at \(s=0\); one can then define the determinant of \(Y\) by the formula \(\text{det} (Y)=\exp[-Z'(0,Y)]\). There is interest in the variation of the zeta function \(Z(s,Y)\), or of det\((Y)\), under a conformal change of metric \(Wg\), with \(W\in C^{\infty}(M)\) and positive, and possibly to describe the extremal metrics for the above spectral functionals under these variations. Note that the conformal Laplacian \(Y_W\) in the metric \(Wg\) takes the form \(Y_W=W^{-\frac{n+2}4}YW^{\frac{n-2}4}\). About this problem, \textit{T. P. Branson} proved in [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 347, No. 10, 3671-3742 (1995; Zbl 0848.58047)] that, when \(M=S^2,S^4\) or \(S^6\), the determinant is either minimized or maximized at the standard metric for conformal variations keeping the volume fixed [see also \textit{E. Onofri}, Commun. Math. Phys. 86, No. 3, 321-326 (1982; Zbl 0506.47031)]. If \(M\) is a compact surface, \textit{B. Osgood, R. Phillips} and \textit{P. Sarnak} proved in [J. Funct. Anal. 80, No. 1, 148-211 (1988; Zbl 0653.53022)] that among all metrics with given area in a given conformal class, the constant curvature metric yields the maximum determinant. In the present work, the author announces a number of estimates when \(M=S^n\), referring to the preprint [\textit{C. Morpurgo}, Sobolev inequalities and the spectrum of intertwining operators] for full details. These results imply in particular that the standard metric \(g_{S^n}\) of \(S^n\) is an extremal metric for the variation of the zeta function \(Z(s,Y)\) for \(s\) and \(n\) in certain ranges; more precisely, \(Z(s,Y_W)\leq Z(s,Y)\) for \(s>n/2\) and \(n/2-1<s<n/2\) when \(n\geq 3\), and \(Z'(1,Y_W)\leq Z'(1,Y)\) when \(n=3\). The estimates hold for a class of conformally covariant pseudodifferential operators which include the conformal Laplacian. They are defined as follows. Let \(d>0\), and consider the operator \(A_d\) obtained by lifting \(\Delta^{d/2}\) from \(\mathbb{R}^n\) to \(S^n\) via the stereographic projection. To a conformal change of metric of type \(W^{2/d}g_{S^n}\), one associates the operator \[ A_d(W)=W^{-\frac{n+d}{2d}}A_dW^{\frac{n-d}{2d}} \] acting on \(L^2(S^n, W^{n/d}d\xi)\). This operator has the correct intertwining property, in the sense that it is consistent with the action of the conformal group of \(S^n\). One gets a family of pseudo-differential operators of order \(d\), which are self-adjoint, elliptic and have discrete spectrum. For \(d=2\) one recovers the conformal Laplacian, that is \(A_2=Y\). One defines the zeta function \(Z(s,A_d(W))\) in the usual way; it is analytic for Re\((s)>n/d\), and has a meromorphic extension with simple poles at \(s=n/d, (n-2)/d,(n-3)/d\dots\). Then: Theorem. Let \(0<d<n\), \(0<d\leq 2\), \(0<W\in C^{\infty}(S^n), \int_{S^n}W^{n/d}d\xi=|S^n|\). (i) If \(sd>n\) or \(n-2<sd<n\), then for \(s>1\): \[ Z(s,A_d(W))\leq Z(s,A_d) \] whereas if \(0<s<1\) the inequality is reversed, and if \(s=1\) the inequality is an identity. (ii) If \(n-2<d<n\) (so that \(1\leq n\leq 4\)) then \[ Z'(1,A_d(W))\leq Z'(1,A_d) \] (iii) When \(2<d<n\), the above statements continue to hold provided \(s\) is an integer. (iv) Equality holds in (i)--(iii) if and only if \(W^{2/d}g_{S^n}\) is isometric to \(g_{S^n}\). \smallskip Furthermore, the author extends (i) to spectral functionals more general than the zeta function, and to the regularized zeta function at the pole \(s=n/d\). A detailed scheme of the proof follows: the first step is to give an explicit expression of the zeta functions in terms of arithmetic-geometric Dini integrals (suitably defined), and in terms of Wiener integrals associated to the heat kernel of \(A_d\); the second step is to prove the sharp estimates through a symmetrization (i.e. rearrangement) argument. As a further corollary of his calculations, the author gives a sharp inequality for the trace of the Schrödinger semigroups associated to \(\Delta^{d/2}\) in \(\mathbb{R}^n\), which is of independent interest.