Inequalities for eigenvalues of the biharmonic operator (Q794203)

Let D be a bounded domain in \(R^ m\) (\(m\geq 2)\) with smooth boundary \(\partial D\). Let \(\mu_ n\) and \(\nu_ n\) denote the eigenvalues, in increasing order, for the problems \(\Delta^ 2u-\mu u=0\) in D, \(u=\partial u/\partial n=0\) on \(\partial D\), \(\Delta^ 2u+\nu \Delta u=0\) in D, \(u=\partial u/\partial n=0\) on \(\partial D\). Using variational ideas and a suitable test function, it is proved that \[ \sum^{n}_{i=1}\mu_ i^{1/2}/\mu_{n+1}-\mu_ i\geq m^ 2n^{3/2}(\sum^{n}_{i=1}\mu_ i)^{-1/2}/8(m+2) \] for \(n\geq 1\) with, as a corollary, \(\mu_{n+1}\leq(1+4m^{-1})^ 2\mu_ n\). By the introduction of a suitably chosen parameter into the argument, this last inequality can be improved and, for the lower eigenvalues in particular, it is shown that \(\mu_ 2\leq 7.103 \mu_ 1\) and \(\mu_ 3\leq 2.897 \mu_ 1+4.237 \mu_ 2\) in \(R^ 2\). It is also shown that, in \(R^ m, \nu_ 2\leq(m^ 2+8m+20)/(m+2)^ 2)\nu_ 1.\)These results lie in the general area, initiated by \textit{L. E. Payne}, \textit{G. Pólya} and \textit{H. F. Weinberger} [J. Math. Phys. 35, 289-298 (1956; Zbl 0073.082)], where the aim is to obtain inequalities between eigenvalues which are independent of the geometry of D.