Optimal regularity of isoperimetric sets with Hölder densities (Q6137575)

The paper discusses the regularity of the so-called weighted isoperimetric sets. These are the sets attaining the infimum \[ \inf_{E\subset \mathbb{R}^N}\left\{\,\int_{\partial^*E} h(x)\,\mathrm{d}\mathcal{H}^{N-1}(x)\,:\, \int_E f(x)\, \mathrm{d}x = V \,\right\}, \] where \(V>0\) and \(h\) and \(f\) are suitable positive, lower semi-continuous functions. Regularity is well-established when \(h\) is of class \(C^{k,\alpha}\) with \(k\ge 1\). The authors deal with the case \(k=0\), whose main obstacle is the lack of an associated Euler--Lagrange equation. To circumvent this problem, they go through the direct approach from classical regularity theory for minimization problems. The starting point is [\textit{A. Pratelli} and \textit{G. Saracco}, Adv. Nonlinear Stud. 20, No. 3, 539--555 (2020; Zbl 1445.49022)] where the \(C^{1,\sigma}\) regularity is proved with a non-optimal exponent \(\sigma\), as the proof relies on \(\omega\)-minimality. Suitable estimates on the Lagrange multiplier (coming from the volume constraint) and classical Schauder estimates allows to prove optimal decay estimates on the minimizers. The sharp regularity result (Theorem~1.1) reads as follows: assuming \(h\) to be of class \(C^{0, \alpha}\) and \(f\) of class \(C^{0, \gamma}\) with \(\alpha, \gamma \in (0,1)\), any weighted isoperimetric set is shown to have boundary of class \(C^{1, \alpha/(2-\alpha)}\), up to the usual singular set of Hausdorff dimension at most \(N-8\). Example~1.2 complements the paper by showing the sharpness of the result. Finally, it is worth mentioning that \(\gamma\)-Hölderianity of the volume weight \(f\) is of technical nature, and it is reasonable to assume that it can be dropped as the final regularity is independent from it.