Self-similar solutions for the anisotropic affine curve shortening problem (Q5955104)

This is an interesting contribution to the theory of curve shortening problems. In the paper under review the authors consider convex self-similar solutions of anisotropic affine curve shortening flows \[ d\gamma/dt=\Phi(x)| k| ^{\sigma-1}k\nu, \] where \(\Phi\) is a positive function depending on the normal angle, \(k\) denotes the curvature of the curve \(\gamma\), \(\sigma>0\) and \(\nu\) is the inner unit normal.\smallskip Self-similar solutions of geometric evolution equations often arise as limits of rescaling procedures for the flow as \(t\) tends to the maximal time of existence \(T\), i.e. the blow-up time where a first singularity occurs. With the inverse Gauss map and the support functions, the elliptic ODE for self-similar solutions reduces to \[ (*)\quad u''+u=1/k=R(x)/u^{p+1} \] for a positive function \(R(x)\) on \(S^ 1\) and \(p\geq 0\). Here, \(u\) denotes the support function of the curves. The authors study sufficient conditions for the existence of self-similar solutions. In particular, they explore similarities between the Nirenberg problem for prescribed scalar curvature and self-similar solutions of the anisotropic affine curve shortening flows. For any positive \(C^ 2\)-function \(R(x)\) of period \(\pi\), they define the function \[ B(x)=\int_0^\pi\sin^{-2}t(R(x+t)-R(x)-2^{-1}R'(x)\sin 2t)dt. \] Then, in the affine case \(p=2\), the main theorems are: Theorem A: Assume \(R\) is a positive, \(B\)-nondegenerate, \(C^2\)-function of period \(\pi\). Then there exists a positive constant \(C\) depending only on \(R\) such that \(C^{-1}\leq u(x)\leq C\) and \(| | u| | _{H^1(S^1)}\leq C,\) for any solution \(u\) of \((*)\) with \(p=2\). Theorem B: Assume \(R\) is a positive, \(B\)-nondegenerate, \(C^2\)-function of period \(\pi\). In the affine case, \((*)\) has a \(\pi\)-periodic solution if the winding number of the map \(x\mapsto(-B(x),R'(x)), x\in[0,\pi)\) around the origin differs from \(-1\). For a related paper see \textit{B. Andrews [Evolving convex curves. Calc. Var. Partial Differ. Equ. 7, No. 4, 315--371 (1998; Zbl 0931.53030)].}