The Structure of Isoperimetric Bubbles on \mathbb{R}^n and \mathbb{S}^n

MaRDI QIDQ6505936arXivFDO

Authors Emanuel Milman, Joe Neeman

Published in arXiv

Abstract: The multi-bubble isoperimetric conjecture in $n$-dimensional Euclidean and spherical spaces from the 1990's asserts that standard bubbles uniquely minimize total perimeter among all $q-1$ bubbles enclosing prescribed volume, for any $qleqn+2$. The double-bubble conjecture on $mathbb{R}^3$ was confirmed in 2000 by Hutchings-Morgan-Ritor'e-Ros, and is nowadays fully resolved for all $ngeq2$. The double-bubble conjecture on $mathbb{S}^2$ and triple-bubble conjecture on $mathbb{R}^2$ have also been resolved, but all other cases are in general open. We confirm the conjecture on $mathbb{R}^n$ and on $mathbb{S}^n$ for all $qleqmin(5,n+1)$, namely: the double-bubble conjectures for $ngeq2$, the triple-bubble conjectures for $ngeq3$ and the quadruple-bubble conjectures for $ngeq4$. In fact, we show that for all $qleqn+1$, a minimizing cluster necessarily has spherical interfaces, and after stereographic projection to $mathbb{S}^n$, its cells are obtained as the Voronoi cells of $q$ affine-functions, or equivalently, as the intersection with $mathbb{S}^n$ of convex polyhedra in $mathbb{R}^{n+1}$. Moreover, the cells (including the unbounded one) are necessarily connected and intersect a common hyperplane of symmetry, resolving a conjecture of Heppes. We also show for all $qleqn+1$ that a minimizer with non-empty interfaces between all pairs of cells is necessarily a standard bubble. The proof makes crucial use of considering $mathbb{R}^n$ and $mathbb{S}^n$ in tandem and of M"obius geometry and conformal Killing fields; it does not rely on establishing a PDI for the isoperimetric profile as in the Gaussian setting, which seems out of reach in the present one.

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