Exercises on the theme of continuous symmetrization

DOI10.1007/S40315-020-00331-YMaRDI QIDQ2228030zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Publication date 16 February 2021

Published in Computational Methods and Function Theory (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1007/s40315-020-00331-y

continuous symmetrization convex domain isoperimetric inequality logarithmic capacity principal frequency torsional rigidity triangular beam triangular drum

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Conformal mappings of special domains (30C20) Extremal problems for conformal and quasiconformal mappings, other methods (30C75)

Review text

If \(\Omega \subset \mathbb{C}\) is a bounded simply connected domain in the plane whose boundary is a Jordan curve, \(dA\) is the area measure on \(\Omega\), and \(C^1_0\left(\overline{\Omega}\right)\) is the space of continuously differentiable functions on \(\overline{\Omega}\) that vanish on the boundary, then \[ P(\Omega) = \sup_{u \in C^1_0\left(\overline{\Omega}\right)} \frac{ 4 \left( \int_\Omega u(z)dA(z) \right)^2 }{\int_{\Omega} |\nabla u(z)|^2 dA(z) } \] is called the torsional rigidity of \(\Omega\), and \[ \Lambda^2(\Omega) = \inf_{u \in C^1_0\left(\overline{\Omega}\right)} \frac{\int_{\Omega} |\nabla u(z)|^2 dA(z) }{ \int_\Omega (u(z))^2dA(z)} \] is called the principal frequency of \(\Omega\). The torsional rigidity of a cylindrical beam quantifies its ability to resist twisting when \(\Omega\) is the cross-section of the beam. If \(\Omega\) is viewed as a uniformly stretched elastic membrane of a drum fixed along the boundary \(\partial\Omega\), then \(\Lambda\) is the lowest bass tone of this drum. If \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) are real numbers such that \(0<\alpha<\pi\) and \(0<\beta<\pi-\alpha\), and \(T(\alpha,\beta)\) is a triangle having angles of opening \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) at its vertices \(v_1\) and \(v_2\) situated at the points \(v_1=0\) and \(v_2=\sqrt{2(\cot\alpha+\cot\beta)}\) and with the third vertex at the point \(v_3\) such that \(\text{Im}\,v_3>0\). A simple geometric calculation shows that \(\text{area}(T(\alpha,\beta))=1\) for all \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\). If \(P(\alpha,\beta)\) is the torsional rigidity and \(\Lambda(\alpha,\beta)\) is the principal frequency of \(T(\alpha,\beta)\), then, for a fixed \(\alpha\), the graphs of \(P(\alpha,\beta)\) and \(\Lambda(\alpha,\beta)\) considered as functions of \(\beta\) are symmetric with respect to the line \(\beta=(\pi -\alpha)/2\). The author shows that these functions are monotone on the interval \(0<\beta\le(\pi-\alpha)/2\) by proving that, for any fixed angle \(\alpha\), \(0<\alpha<\pi\), the torsional rigidity \(P(\alpha,\beta)\) of the triangle \(T(\alpha,\beta)\) is a strictly increasing function of \(\beta\) on the interval \(0<\beta\le(\pi-\alpha)/2\), and the principal frequency \(P(\alpha,\beta)\) of \(T(\alpha,\beta)\) is a strictly decreasing function of \(\beta\) on this interval. In particular, for all \(\beta\) in the interval \(0<\beta<\pi-\alpha\) such that \(\beta\ne(\pi-\alpha)/2\), \[ P(\alpha,\beta) < P(\alpha,(\pi-\alpha)/2)\ \ \ \text{and}\ \ \ \Lambda(\alpha,\beta) > \Lambda(\alpha,(\pi-\alpha)/2). \] The second main result of this paper follows from this one and states that among all right triangles with area \(A>0\), the one with largest torsional rigidity is the isosceles right triangle. The proofs of these results employ a geometric transformation, called continuous symmetrization, introduced by \textit{G. Pólya} and \textit{G. Szegő} [Isoperimetric inequalities in mathematical physics. Princeton: Princeton University Press (1951; Zbl 0044.38301)]. Also, the author discusses the Pólya-Szegő continuous symmetrization and its applications to isoperimetric inequalities, and presents some examples demonstrating how continuous symmetrization can be applied to study properties of simple shapes.

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