Boundary-variation solution of eigenvalue problems for elliptic operators. (Q5937488)

We present an algorithm which, based on certain properties of analytic dependence, constructs boundary perturbation expansions of arbitrary order for eigenfunctions of elliptic PDEs. The resulting Taylor series can be evaluated far outside their radii of convergence -- by means of appropriate methods of analytic continuation in the domain of complex perturbation parameters. A difficulty associated with calculation of the Taylor coefficients becomes apparent as one considers the issues raised by multiplicity: domain perturbations may remove existing multiple eigenvalues and criteria must therefore be provided to obtain Taylor series expansions for all branches stemming from a given multiple point. The derivation of our algorithm depends on certain properties of joint analyticity (with respect to spatial variables and perturbations) which had not been established before this work. While our proofs, constructions and numerical examples are given for eigenvalue problems for the Laplacian operator in the plane, other elliptic operators can be treated similarly.