Solutions to the Allen Cahn equation and minimal surfaces (Q640705)

This is a survey of several results of the authors and collaborators related to De Giorgi's conjecture for dimension \(N \geq 9\). Giorgi's conjecture, for \(N \leq 8\) is as follows: Let \(u\) be a bounded solution of the Allen Cahn (AC) equation \[ \Delta u + u -u^3 =0 \] in \({\mathbb R}^N\), which is monotone in one direction, say \(\partial_{x_N}u>0\). Then any all level sets of \(u\) are hyperplanes. In [the authors and \textit{M. Kowalczyk}, Ann. Math. (2) 174, No. 3, 1485--1569 (2011; Zbl 1238.35019); C. R., Math., Acad. Sci. Paris 346, No. 23--24, 1261--1266 (2008; Zbl 1161.35023)], the following counterexample to the statement for \(N \geq 9\) is given: {Theorem}. Let \(\Gamma\) be a BDG (Bombieri, De Giorgi and Giusti) minimal graph in \({\mathbb R}^9\) and \(\Gamma_\epsilon := \epsilon^{-1} \Gamma\). Then for all small \(\epsilon >0\), there exists a bounded solution \(u_\epsilon\) of the AC equation, monotone in the \(x_9\)-direction, with \[ u_\epsilon(x) = w(\zeta) + O(\epsilon), \quad x=y+\zeta \nu (\epsilon y), \quad y \in \Gamma_\epsilon, \,\,\, \zeta<\frac{\delta}{\epsilon}, \] \[ \lim_{x_9 \to \pm \infty} u(x^\prime, x_9) = \pm 1 \quad \forall \,\, x^\prime \in {\mathbb R}^8. \] The main part of this article describes a proof of this result. The last part states some related applications of the BDG surface to two other problems: construction of solutions to overdetermined semilinear equations, and solutions to the mean curvature flow for entire graphs.