Abstract
We derive a singular version of the Sphere Covering Inequality which was recently introduced in Gui and Moradifam (Invent Math. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00222-018-0820-2, 2018) suitable for treating singular Liouville-type problems with superharmonic weights. As an application we deduce new uniqueness results for solutions of the singular mean field equation both on spheres and on bounded domains, as well as new self-contained proofs of previously known results, such as the uniqueness of spherical convex polytopes first established in Luo and Tian (Proc Am Math Soc 116(4):1119–1129, 1992). Furthermore, we derive new symmetry results for the spherical Onsager vortex equation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bandle, C.: On a differential Inequality and its applications to geometry. Math. Zeit. 147, 253–261 (1976)
Bartolucci, D.: On the best pinching constant of conformal metrics on \(\mathbb{S}^2\) with one and two conical singularities. J. Geom. Anal. 23, 855–877 (2013)
Bartolucci, D.: Global bifurcation analysis of mean field equations and the Onsager microcanonical description of two-dimensional turbulence (2016). arXiv:1609.04139 (preprint)
Bartolucci, D., Castorina, D.: Self gravitating cosmic strings and the Alexandrov’s inequality for Liouville-type equations. Commun. Contemp. Math. 18(4), 1550068 (2016)
Bartolucci, D., Castorina, D.: On a singular Liouville-type equation and the Alexandrov isoperimetric inequality. Ann. Scuola Norm. Sup. Pisa Cl. Sci. XIX, 1–30 (2019)
Bartolucci, D., Chen, C.C., Lin, C.S., Tarantello, G.: Profile of blow up solutions to mean field equations with singular data. Commun. Partial Differ. Equ. 29(7–8), 1241–1265 (2004)
Bartolucci, D., De Marchis, F.: On the Ambjorn–Olesen electroweak condensates. J. Math. Phys. 53, 073704 (2012)
Bartolucci, D., De Marchis, F.: Supercritical mean field equations on convex domains and the Onsager’s statistical description of two-dimensional turbulence. Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 217(2), 525–570 (2015)
Bartolucci, D., De Marchis, F., Malchiodi, A.: Supercritical conformal metrics on surfaces with conical singularities. Int. Math. Res. Not. 24, 5625–5643 (2011)
Bartolucci, D., Jevnikar, A., Lee, Y., Yang, W.: Uniqueness of bubbling solutions of mean field equations. J. Math. Pure Appl. (to appear)
Bartolucci, D., Jevnikar, A., Lee, Y., Yang, W.: Non degeneracy, mean field equations and the Onsager theory of 2D turbulence. Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. (ARMA) 230(1), 397–426 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00205-018-1248-y
Bartolucci, D., Jevnikar, A., Lin, C.S.: Non-degeneracy and uniqueness of solutions to singular mean field equations on bounded domains. J. Differ. Equ. (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jde.2018.07.053
Bartolucci, D., Lin, C.S.: Uniqueness results for mean field equations with singular data. Commun. Partial Differ. Equ. 34(7), 676–702 (2009)
Bartolucci, D., Lin, C.S.: Existence and uniqueness for mean field equations on multiply connected domains at the critical parameter. Math. Ann. 359, 1–44 (2014)
Bartolucci, D., Lin, C.S., Tarantello, G.: Uniqueness and symmetry results for solutions of a mean field equation on \({\mathbb{S}}^{2}\) via a new bubbling phenomenon. Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 64(12), 1677–1730 (2011)
Bartolucci, D., Malchiodi, A.: An improved geometric inequality via vanishing moments, with applications to singular Liouville equations. Commun. Math. Phys. 322, 415–452 (2013)
Bartolucci, D., Tarantello, G.: Liouville type equations with singular data and their applications to periodic multivortices for the electroweak theory. Commun. Math. Phys. 229, 3–47 (2002)
Bartolucci, D., Tarantello, G.: Asymptotic blow-up analysis for singular Liouville type equations with applications. J. Differ. Equ. 262(7), 3887–3931 (2017)
Beckner, W.: Sharp Sobolev inequalities on the sphere and the Moser–Trudinger inequality. Ann. Math. (2) 138(1), 213–242 (1993)
Brezis, H., Merle, F.: Uniform estimates and blow-up behaviour for solutions of \(-\Delta u = V(x)e^{u}\) in two dimensions. Commun. Partial Differ. Equ. 16(8–9), 1223–1253 (1991)
Caglioti, E., Lions, P.L., Marchioro, C., Pulvirenti, M.: A special class of stationary flows for two dimensional Euler equations: a statistical mechanics description. II. Commun. Math. Phys. 174, 229–260 (1995)
Carlotto, A., Malchiodi, A.: Weighted barycentric sets and singular Liouville equations on compact surfaces. J. Funct. Anal. 262(2), 409–450 (2012)
Chai, C.C., Lin, C.S., Wang, C.L.: Mean field equations, hyperelliptic curves, and modular forms: I. Camb. J. Math. 3(1–2), 127–274 (2015)
Chang, S.Y.A., Chen, C.C., Lin, C.S. : Extremal functions for a mean field equation in two dimension. In: Lecture on Partial Differential Equations. New Studies in Advanced Mathematics, vol. 2, pp 61–93. International Press, Somerville (2003)
Chang, Sun-Yung A., Yang, Paul C.: Prescribing Gaussian curvature on \(S^2\). Acta Math. 159(3–4), 2159 (1987)
Chang, Sun-Yung A., Yang, Paul C.: Conformal deformation of metrics on \(S^2\). J. Differ. Geom. 27(2), 2596 (1988)
Chanillo, S., Kiessling, M.: Rotational symmetry of solutions of some nonlinear problems in statistical mechanics and in geometry. Commun. Math. Phys. 160, 217–238 (1994)
Chen, Z.J., Kuo, T.J., Lin, C.S.: Hamiltonian system for the elliptic form of Painlevé VI equation. J. Math. Pure Appl. 106(3), 546–581 (2016)
Chen, W.X., Li, C.: Classification of solutions of some nonlinear elliptic equations. Duke Math. J. 63(3), 615–622 (1991)
Chen, C.C., Lin, C.S.: Sharp estimates for solutions of multi-bubbles in compact Riemann surface. Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 55, 728–771 (2002)
Chen, C.C., Lin, C.S.: Topological degree for a mean field equation on Riemann surfaces. Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 56, 1667–1727 (2003)
Chen, C.C., Lin, C.S.: Mean field equations of Liouville type with singular data: sharper estimates. Discret. Contin. Dyn. Syst. 28(3), 1237–1272 (2010)
Chen, C.C., Lin, C.S.: Mean field equation of Liouville type with singular data: topological degree. Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 68(6), 887–947 (2015)
De Marchis, F.: Generic multiplicity for a scalar field equation on compact surfaces. J. Funct. Anal. 259, 2165–2192 (2010)
Ding, W., Jost, J., Li, J., Wang, G.: Existence results for mean field equations. Ann. Inst. H. Poincaré Anal. Non Linéaire 16, 653–666 (1999)
Djadli, Z.: Existence result for the mean field problem on Riemann surfaces of all genuses. Commun. Contemp. Math. 10(2), 205–220 (2008)
Dolbeault, J., Esteban, M.J., Jankowiak, G.: The Moser–Trudinger–Onofri inequality. Chin. Ann. Math. Ser. B 36(5), 777–802 (2015)
Eremenko, A.: Metrics of positive curvature with conic singularities on the sphere. Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 132(11), 3349–3355 (2004)
Eremenko, A., Gabrielov, A., Tarasov, V.: Metrics with conic singularities and spherical polygons. Ill. J. Math. 58(3), 739–755 (2014)
Eremenko, A., Gabrielov, A., Tarasov, V.: Metrics with four conic singularities and spherical quadrilaterals. Conform. Geom. Dyn. 20, 128–175 (2016)
Fang, H., Lai, M.: On curvature pinching of conic 2-spheres. Calc. Var. Partial Differ. Equ. 55, 118 (2016)
Fleming, W., Rishel, R.: An integral formula for total gradient variation. Arch. Math. 11, 218–222 (1960)
Ghoussoub, N., Lin, C.S.: On the best constant in the Moser–Onofri–Aubin inequality. Commun. Math. Phys. 298(3), 869–878 (2010)
Gui, C., Jevnikar, A., Moradifam, A.: Symmetry and uniqueness of solutions to some Liouville-type equations and systems. Commun. Partial Differ. Equ. 43(3), 428–447 (2018)
Gui, C., Moradifam, A.: The sphere covering inequality and its applications. Invent. Math. (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00222-018-0820-2
Gui, C., Moradifam, A.: Symmetry of solutions of a mean field equation on flat tori. Int. Math. Res. Not. (2016). https://doi.org/10.1093/imrn/rnx121
Gui, C., Moradifam, A.: Uniqueness of solutions of mean field equations in \(\mathbb{R}^2\). Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 146(3), 12311242 (2018)
Gui, C., Wei, J.: On a sharp Moser–Aubin–Onofri inequality for functions on \(S^2\) with symmetry. Pac. J. Math. 194(2), 349–358 (2000)
Kazdan, J.L., Warner, F.W.: Curvature functions for compact 2-manifolds. Ann. Math. 99, 14–74 (1974)
Li, Y.Y.: Harnack type inequality: the method of moving planes. Commun. Math. Phys. 200, 421–444 (1999)
Li, Y.Y., Shafrir, I.: Blow-up analysis for solutions of \(-\Delta u = V(x)e^{u}\) in dimension two. Indiana Univ. Math. J. 43(4), 1255–1270 (1994)
Lin, C.S.: Uniqueness of conformal metrics with prescribed total curvature in \({\cal{R}}^{2}\). Calc. Var. Partial Differ. Equ. 10, 291–319 (2000)
Lin, C.S.: Uniqueness of solutions to the mean field equations for the spherical Onsager vortex. Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 153(2), 153–176 (2000)
Lin, C.S.: Topological degree for mean field equations on \(S^2\). Duke Math. J. 104(3), 501–536 (2000)
Lin, C.S., Lucia, M.: Uniqueness of solutions for a mean field equation on torus. J. Differ. Equ. 229(1), 172–185 (2006)
Lin, C.S., Wang, C.L.: Elliptic functions, Green functions and the mean field equations on tori. Ann. Math. 172(2), 911–954 (2010)
Luo, F., Tian, G.: Liouville equation and spherical convex polytopes. Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 116(4), 1119–1129 (1992)
Malchiodi, A.: Topological methods for an elliptic equation with exponential nonlinearities. Discret. Contin. Dyn. Syst. 21, 277–294 (2008)
Malchiodi, A.: Morse theory and a scalar field equation on compact surfaces. Adv. Differ. Equ. 13, 1109–1129 (2008)
Michel, J., Robert, R.: Statistical mechanical theory of the great red spot of Jupiter. J. Stat. Phys. 77(3–4), 645–666 (1994)
Moser, J.: A sharp form of an inequality by N. Trudinger. Indiana Univ. Math. J. 20, 1077–1092 (1970/1971)
Poliakovsky, A., Tarantello, G.: On a planar Liouville-type problem in the study of selfgravitating strings. J. Differ. Equ. 252, 3668–3693 (2012)
Polvani, L., Dritschel, D.: Wave and vortex dynamics on the surface of a sphere. J. Fluid Mech. 255, 35–64 (1993)
Prajapat, J., Tarantello, G.: On a class of elliptic problems in \(\mathbb{R}^2\): symmetry and uniqueness results. Proc. R. Soc. Edinb. Sect. A. 131, 967–985 (2001)
Reshetnyak, Y.G.: Two-dimensional manifolds of bounded curvature. In: Reshetnyak, Y.G. (ed.) Geometry IV. Encyclopaedia of Mathematical Sciences, vol. 70, pp. 3–163. Springer, Berlin (1993)
Spruck, J., Yang, Y.: On multivortices in the electroweak theory I: existence of periodic solutions. Commun. Math. Phys. 144, 1–16 (1992)
Suzuki, T.: Global analysis for a two-dimensional elliptic eiqenvalue problem with the exponential nonlinearly. Ann. Inst. H. Poincaré Anal. Non Linéaire 9(4), 367–398 (1992)
Tarantello, G.: Multiple condensate solutions for the Chern–Simons–Higgs theory. J. Math. Phys. 37, 3769–3796 (1996)
Tarantello, G.: Analytical, geometrical and topological aspects of a class of mean field equations on surfaces. Discret. Contin. Dyn. Syst. 28(3), 931–973 (2010)
Tarantello, G.: Blow-up analysis for a cosmic strings equation. J. Funct. Anal. 272(1), 255–338 (2017)
Troyanov, M.: Prescribing curvature on compact surfaces with conical singularities. Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 324, 793–821 (1991)
Troyanov, M.: Metrics of constant curvature on a sphere with two conical singularities. In: Carreras, F.J., Gil-Medrano, O., Naveira, A.M. (eds.) Differential Geometry. Lecture Notes in Mathematics, vol. 1410, pp. 296–306. Springer, Berlin (1989)
Wei, J., Zhang, L.: Nondegeneracy of Gauss curvature equation with negative conic singularity. Pacific J. Math. (2017). arXiv:1706.10264 (to appear)
Wolansky, G.: On steady distributions of self-attracting clusters under friction and fluctuations. Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 119, 355–391 (1992)
Yang, Y.: Solitons in Field Theory and Nonlinear Analysis. Springer Monographs in Mathematics. Springer, New York (2001)
Zhang, L.: Asymptotic behavior of blowup solutions for elliptic equations with exponential nonlinearity and singular data. Commun. Contemp. Math. 11, 395–411 (2009)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by Y. Giga.
D.B. and A.J. are partially supported by FIRB project “Analysis and Beyond”, by PRIN project 2012, ERC PE1_11, “Variational and perturbative aspects in nonlinear differential problems”, and by the Consolidate the Foundations project 2015 (sponsored by Univ. of Rome “Tor Vergata”), “Nonlinear Differential Problems and their Applications”. C.G. is partially supported by NSF Grant DMS-1601885, and A.M. is supported by NSF Grant DMS-1715850.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bartolucci, D., Gui, C., Jevnikar, A. et al. A singular Sphere Covering Inequality: uniqueness and symmetry of solutions to singular Liouville-type equations. Math. Ann. 374, 1883–1922 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00208-018-1761-1
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00208-018-1761-1