For the unit sphere S^d in Euclidean space R^(d+1), we show that for d-1<s<d and any N>1, discrete N-point minimal Riesz s-energy configurations are well separated in the sense that the minimal distance between any pair of distinct points in such a configuration is bounded below by C/N^(1/d), where C is a positive constant depending on s and d.
We survey known results and present estimates and conjectures for the next-order term in the asymptotics of the optimal logarithmic energy and Riesz $s$-energy of $N$ points on the unit sphere in $\mathbb{R}^{d+1}$, $d\geq 1$. The conjectures are based on analytic continuation assumptions (with respect to $s$) for the coefficients in the asymptotic expansion (as $N\to \infty$) of the optimal $s$-energy.
We investigate the minimal Riesz s-energy problem for positive measures on the d-dimensional unit sphere S^d in the presence of an external field induced by a point charge, and more generally by a line charge. The model interaction is that of Riesz potentials |x-y|^(-s) with d-2 <= s < d. For a given axis-supported external field, the support and the density of the corresponding extremal measure on S^d is determined. The special case s = d-2 yields interesting phenomena, which we investigate in detail. A weak* asymptotic analysis is provided as s goes to (d-2)^+.
We consider the minimal discrete and continuous energy problems on the unit sphere $\mathbb{S}^d$ in the Euclidean space $\mathbb{R}^{d+1}$ in the presence of an external field due to finitely many localized charge distributions on $\mathbb{S}^d$, where the energy arises from the Riesz potential $1/r^s$ ($r$ is the Euclidean distance) for the critical Riesz parameter $s = d - 2$ if $d \geq 3$ and the logarithmic potential $\log(1/r)$ if $d = 2$. Individually, a localized charge distribution is either a point charge or assumed to be rotationally symmetric. The extremal measure solving the conti…
The Riesz $s$-energy of an $N$-point configuration in the Euclidean space $\mathbb{R}^{p}$ is defined as the sum of reciprocal $s$-powers of all mutual distances in this system. In the limit $s\to0$ the Riesz $s$-potential $1/r^s$ ($r$ the Euclidean distance) governing the point interaction is replaced with the logarithmic potential $\log(1/r)$. In particular, we present a conjecture for the leading term of the asymptotic expansion of the optimal $\IL_2$-discrepancy with respect to spherical caps on the unit sphere in $\mathbb{R}^{d+1}$ which follows from Stolarsky's invariance principle [Proc…
We derive bounds and asymptotics for the maximum Riesz polarization quantity $$M_n^p(A) := \max_{{\bold x}_1, {\bold x}_2, \ldots, {\bold x}_n \in A} {\min_{{\bold x} \in A}{\sum_{j=1}^n{\frac{1}{|{\bold x} - {\bold x}_j|^{p}}}}}$$ (which is $n$ times the Chebyshev constant) for quite general sets $A \subset {\Bbb R}^m$ with special focus on the unit sphere and unit ball. We combine elementary averaging arguments with potential theoretic tools to formulate and prove our results. We also give a discrete version of the recent result of Hardin, Kendall, and Saff which solves the Riesz polarizatio…
We consider the minimal energy problem on the unit sphere $\mathbb{S}^d$ in the Euclidean space $\mathbb{R}^{d+1}$ in the presence of an external field $Q$, where the energy arises from the Riesz potential $1/r^s$ (where $r$ is the Euclidean distance and $s$ is the Riesz parameter) or the logarithmic potential $\log(1/r)$. Characterization theorems of Frostman-type for the associated extremal measure, previously obtained by the last two authors, are extended to the range $d-2 \leq s < d - 1.$ The proof uses a maximum principle for measures supported on $\mathbb{S}^d$. When $Q$ is the Riesz $s$…
We derive the complete asymptotic expansion in terms of powers of $N$ for the Riesz $s$-energy of $N$ equally spaced points on the unit circle as $N\to \infty$. For $s\ge -2$, such points form optimal energy $N$-point configurations with respect to the Riesz potential $1/r^{s}$, $s\neq0$, where $r$ is the Euclidean distance between points. By analytic continuation we deduce the expansion for all complex values of $s$. The Riemann zeta function plays an essential role in this asymptotic expansion.
Utilizing frameworks developed by Delsarte, Yudin and Levenshtein, we deduce linear programming lower bounds (as $N\to \infty$) for the Riesz energy of $N$-point configurations on the $d$-dimensional unit sphere in the so-called hypersingular case; i.e, for non-integrable Riesz kernels of the form $|x-y|^{-s}$ with $s>d.$ As a consequence, we immediately get (thanks to the Poppy-seed bagel theorem) lower estimates for the large $N$ limits of minimal hypersingular Riesz energy on compact $d$-rectifiable sets. Furthermore, for the Gaussian potential $\exp(-α|x-y|^2)$ on $\mathbb{R}^p,$ we obtain…
We compute three-term semiclassical asymptotic expansions of counting functions and Riesz-means of the eigenvalues of the Laplacian on spheres and hemispheres, for both Dirichlet and Neumann boundary conditions. Specifically for Riesz-means we prove upper and lower bounds involving asymptotically sharp shift terms, and we extend them to domains of $\mathbb S^d$. We also prove a Berezin-Li-Yau inequality for domains contained in the hemisphere $\mathbb S^2_+$. Moreover, we consider polyharmonic operators for which we prove analogous results that highlight the role of dimension for Pólya-type in…
The paper Brauchart, Hardin and Saff [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 41(4) (2009)] gives the complete asymptotic expansions of the Riesz $s$-energy of the $N$th roots of unity which form a universally optimal distribution of points on the unit circle in the sense of Cohn and Kumar [J. Amer. Math. Soc. 20 (2007)]. Here, exact formulas (valid for all $N \geq 2$) are obtained for the case when $s$ is an even integer. In the case of the singular Riesz $s$-potential $1/r^s$, $r$ the Euclidean distance between two points, a continuous modified energy approximation of the Riesz energy is used. Stirling numbe…
Given a compact $d$-rectifiable set $A$ embedded in Euclidean space and a distribution $ρ(x)$ with respect to $d$-dimensional Hausdorff measure on $A$, we address the following question: how can one generate optimal configurations of $N$ points on $A$ that are "well-separated" and have asymptotic distribution $ρ(x)$ as $N\to \infty$? For this purpose we investigate minimal weighted Riesz energy points, that is, points interacting via the weighted power law potential $V=w(x,y)|x-y|^{-s}$, where $s>0$ is a fixed parameter and $w$ is suitably chosen. In the unweighted case ($w\equiv 1$) such poin…
For a compact set A in Euclidean space we consider the asymptotic behavior of optimal (and near optimal) N-point configurations that minimize the Riesz s-energy (corresponding to the potential 1/t^s) over all N-point subsets of A, where s>0. For a large class of manifolds A having finite, positive d-dimensional Hausdorff measure, we show that such minimizing configurations have asymptotic limit distribution (as N tends to infinity with s fixed) equal to d-dimensional Hausdorff measure whenever s>d or s=d. In the latter case we obtain an explicit formula for the dominant term in the minimum ene…
Let A be a compact set in the right-half plane and $Γ(A)$ the set in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$ obtained by rotating A about the vertical axis. We investigate the support of the limit distribution of minimal energy point charges on $Γ(A)$ that interact according to the Riesz potential 1/r^{s}, 0<s<1, where r is the Euclidean distance between points. Potential theory yields that this limit distribution coincides with the equilibrium measure on $Γ(A)$ which is supported on the outer boundary of $Γ(A)$. We show that there are sets of revolution $Γ(A)$ such that the support of the equilibrium measure on $Γ(…
The spherical ensemble is a well-studied determinantal process with a fixed number of points on the sphere. The points of this process correspond to the generalized eigenvalues of two appropriately chosen random matrices, mapped to the surface of the sphere by stereographic projection. This model can be considered as a spherical analogue for other random matrix models on the unit circle and complex plane such as the circular unitary ensemble or the Ginibre ensemble, and is one of the most natural constructions of a (statistically) rotation invariant point process with repelling property on the…
For a positively charged insulated d-dimensional sphere we investigate how the distribution of this charge is affected by proximity to a nearby positive or negative point charge when the system is governed by a Riesz s-potential 1/r^s, s>0, where r denotes Euclidean distance between point charges. Of particular interest are those distances from the point charge to the sphere for which the equilibrium charge distribution is no longer supported on the whole of the sphere (i.e. spherical caps of negative charge appear). Arising from this problem attributed to A. A. Gonchar are sequences of polyno…
In this article we investigate the distribution of eigenvalues of the Dirichlet pseudo-differential operator $\sum_{i=1}^{d}(-\partial_i^2)^{s}, \, s\in (1/2,1]$ on an open and bounded subdomain $Ω\subset \mathbb{R}^d$ and predict bounds on the sum of the first $N$ eigenvalues, the counting function, the Riesz means and the trace of the heat kernel. Moreover, utilizing the connection of coherent states to the semi-classical approach of Quantum Mechanics we determine the sum for moments of eigenvalues of the associated Schrödinger operator.
We study systems of $n$ points in the Euclidean space of dimension $d \ge 1$ interacting via a Riesz kernel $|x|^{-s}$ and confined by an external potential, in the regime where $d-2\le s<d$. We also treat the case of logarithmic interactions in dimensions $1$ and $2$. Our study includes and retrieves all cases previously studied in \cite{ss2d,ss1d,rs}. Our approach is based on the Caffarelli-Silvestre extension formula which allows to view the Riesz kernel as the kernel of a (inhomogeneous) local operator in the extended space $\mathbb{R}^{d+1}$. As $n \to \infty$, we exhibit a next to leadin…
Wavelets on the sphere are reintroduced and further developed independently of the original group theoretic formalism, in an equivalent, but more straightforward approach. These developments are motivated by the interest of the scale-space analysis of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies on the sky. A new, self-consistent, and practical approach to the wavelet filtering on the sphere is developed. It is also established that the inverse stereographic projection of a wavelet on the plane (i.e. Euclidean wavelet) leads to a wavelet on the sphere (i.e. spherical wavelet). This new c…