Let $u$ be an eigenfunction of the Laplacian on a compact manifold with boundary, with Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions, and let $-λ^2$ be the corresponding eigenvalue. We consider the problem of estimating the maximum of $u$ in terms of $λ$, for large $λ$, assuming $u$ is $L^2$-normalized. We prove that $\max_M u\leq C_M λ^{(n-1)/2}$, which is optimal for some $M$. Our proof simplifies some of the arguments used before for such problems. In order to make the article accessible to non-specialists, we review the 'wave equation method' (which has become standard in asymptotic eigenvalue problems) and discuss some special cases which may be handled by more direct methods.
In this note, we discuss a question posed by T. Hoffmann-Ostenhof concerning the parity of the number of nodal domains for a non-constant eigenfunction of the Laplacian on flat tori. We present two results. We first show that on the torus $(\mathbb{R}/2π\mathbb{Z})^{2}$, a non-constant eigenfunction has an even number of nodal domains. We then consider the torus $(\mathbb{R}/2π\mathbb{Z})\times(\mathbb{R}/2ρπ\mathbb{Z})\,$, with $ρ=\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}\,$, and construct on it an eigenfunction with three nodal domains.
We consider the Laplace operator with Dirichlet boundary conditions on a domain in R^d and study the effect that performing a scaling in one direction has on the eigenvalues and corresponding eigenfunctions as a function of the scaling parameter around zero. This generalizes our previous results in two dimensions and, as in that case, allows us to obtain an approximation for Dirichlet eigenvalues for a large class of domains, under very mild assumptions. As an application, we derive a three--term asymptotic expansion for the first eigenvalue of d-dimensional ellipsoids.
We investigate multiplicity and symmetry properties of higher eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the $p$-Laplacian under homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions on certain symmetric domains $Ω\subset \mathbb{R}^N$. By means of topological arguments, we show how symmetries of $Ω$ help to construct subsets of $W_0^{1,p}(Ω)$ with suitably high Krasnosel'ski\uı genus. In particular, if $Ω$ is a ball $B \subset \mathbb{R}^N$, we obtain the following chain of inequalities: $$ λ_2(p;B) \leq \dots \leq λ_{N+1}(p;B) \leq λ_\ominus(p;B). $$ Here $λ_i(p;B)$ are variational eigenvalues of the $p$-Laplaci…
This paper is devoted to interior, i.e. away from the boundary, estimates for eigenfunctions of the fractional Laplacian in an Euclidean domain of $\mathbb R^d$.
We build a one-parameter family of S^{1}-invariant metrics on the unit disc with fixed total area for which the second eigenvalue of the Laplace operator in the case of both Neumann and Dirichlet boundary conditions is simple and has an eigenfunction with a closed nodal line. In the case of Neumann boundary conditions, we also prove that this eigenfunction attains its maximum at an interior point, and thus provide a counterexample to the hot spots conjecture on a simply connected surface. This is a consequence of the stronger result that within this family of metrics any given (finite) number …
The robustness of manifold learning methods is often predicated on the stability of the Neumann Laplacian eigenfunctions under deformations of the assumed underlying domain. Indeed, many manifold learning methods are based on approximating the Neumann Laplacian eigenfunctions on a manifold that is assumed to underlie data, which is viewed through a source of distortion. In this paper, we study the stability of the first Neumann Laplacian eigenfunction with respect to deformations of a domain by a diffeomorphism. In particular, we are interested in the stability of the first eigenfunction on ta…
In a recent paper, we exhibit a link between the average local growth of Laplace eigenfunctions on surfaces and the size of their nodal set. In that paper, the average local growth is computed using the uniform - or $L^\infty$ - growth exponents on disks of wavelength radius. The purpose of this note is to prove similar results for a broader class of $L^q$ growth exponents with $q \in (1, \infty)$. More precisely, we show that the size of the nodal set is bounded above and below by the product of the average local $L^q$ growth with the frequency. We briefly discuss the relation between this ne…
We prove upper bounds on the $L^p$ norms of eigenfunctions of the discrete Laplacian on regular graphs. We then apply these ideas to study the $L^p$ norms of joint eigenfunctions of the Laplacian and an averaging operator over a finite collection of algebraic rotations of the $2$-sphere. Under mild conditions, such joint eigenfunctions are shown to satisfy for large $p$ the same bounds as those known for Laplace eigenfunctions on a surface of non-positive curvature.
In this paper, we present some novel and intriguing findings on the geometric structures of Laplacian eigenfunctions and their deep relationship to the quantitative behaviours of the eigenfunctions in two dimensions. We introduce a new notion of generalized singular lines of the Laplacian eigenfunctions, and carefully study these singular lines and the nodal lines. The studies reveal that the intersecting angle between two of those lines is closely related to the vanishing order of the eigenfunction at the intersecting point. We establish an accurate and comprehensive quantitative characterisa…
We consider an arbitrary selfadjoint operator on a separable Hilbert space. To this operator we construct an expansion in generalized eigenfunctions in which the original Hilbert space is decomposed as a direct integral of Hilbert spaces consisting of general eigenfunctions. This automatically gives a Plancherel type formula. For suitable operators on metric measure spaces we discuss some growth restrictions on the generalized eigenfunctions. For Laplacians on locally finite graphs the generalized eigenfunctions are exactly the solutions of the corresponding difference equation.
We consider Laplacian eigenfunctions on a $d-$dimensional bounded domain $M$ (or a $d-$dimensional compact manifold $M$) with Dirichlet conditions. These operators give rise to a sequence of eigenfunctions $(e_\ell)_{\ell \in \mathbb{N}}$. We study the subspace of all pointwise products $$ A_n = \mbox{span} \left\{ e_i(x) e_j(x): 1 \leq i,j \leq n\right\} \subseteq L^2(M).$$ Clearly, that vector space has dimension $\mbox{dim}(A_n) = n(n+1)/2$. We prove that products $e_i e_j$ of eigenfunctions are simple in a certain sense: for any $\varepsilon > 0$, there exists a low-dimensional vector spac…
We study the dependence of the first eigenvalue of the Finsler $p$-Laplacian and the corresponding eigenfunctions upon perturbation of the domain and we generalize a few results known for the standard $p$-Laplacian. In particular, we prove a Frechét differentiability result for the eigenvalues, we compute the corresponding Hadamard formulas and we prove a continuity result for the eigenfunctions. Finally, we briefly discuss a well-known overdetermined problem and we show how to deduce the Rellich-Pohozaev identity for the Finsler $p$-Laplacian from the Hadamard formula.
We study $L^p$ bounds on spectral projections for the Laplace operator on compact Riemannian manifolds, restricted to small frequency dependent neighborhoods of submanifolds. In particular, if $λ$ is a frequency and the size of the neigborhood is $\mathcal{O}(λ^{-δ})$, then new sharp estimates are established when $δ\ge 1$, while for $0\le δ\le 1/2$, Sogge's estimates turn out to be optimal. In the intermediate region $1/2<δ<1$, we sometimes get sharp estimates as well. Our arguments follow closely a recent work by Burq and Zuily.
In this paper, we analyze the eigenfunctions of the edge-based Laplacian on a graph and the relationship of these functions to random walks on the graph. We commence by discussing the set of eigenfunctions supported at the vertices, and demonstrate the relationship of these eigenfunctions to the classical random walk on the graph. Then, from an analysis of functions supported only on the interior of edges, we develop a method for explicitly calculating the edge-interior eigenfunctions of the edge-based Laplacian. This reveals a connection between the edge-based Laplacian and the adjacency matr…
We prove quantum ergodicity for the eigenfunctions of the pseudo-Laplacian on Riemannian surfaces with finitely many hyperbolic cusps and ergodic geodesic flow.
This article concerns the number of nodal domains of eigenfunctions of the Laplacian on special Riemannian $3$-manifolds, namely nontrivial principal $S^1$ bundles $P \to X$ over Riemann surfaces equipped with certain $S^1$ invariant metrics, the Kaluza-Klein metrics. We prove for generic Kaluza-Klein metrics that any Laplacian eigenfunction has exactly two nodal domains unless it is invariant under the $S^1$ action. We also construct an explicit orthonormal eigenbasis on the flat $3$-torus $\mathbb{T}^3$ for which every non-constant eigenfunction belonging to the basis has two nodal domains.
Let $Σ$ be an oriented compact hypersurface in the round sphere $\mathbb{S}^n$ or in the flat torus $\mathbb{T}^n$, $n\geq 3$. In the case of the torus, $Σ$ is further assumed to be contained in a contractible subset of $\mathbb{T}^n$. We show that for any sufficiently large enough odd integer $N$ there exists an eigenfunctions $ψ$ of the Laplacian on $\mathbb{S}^n$ or $\mathbb{T}^n$ satisfying $Δψ=-λψ$ (with $λ=N(N+n-1)$ or $N^2$ on $\mathbb{S}^n$ or $\mathbb{T}^n$, respectively), and with a connected component of the nodal set of $ψ$ given by~$Σ$, up to an ambient diffeomorphism.
The main result of this paper is a bound on the distance between the distribution of an eigenfunction of the Laplacian on a compact Riemannian manifold and the Gaussian distribution. If $X$ is a random point on a manifold $M$ and $f$ is an eigenfunction of the Laplacian with $L^2$-norm one and eigenvalue $-μ$, then $$d_{TV}(f(X),Z)\le\frac{2}μ\E\big|\|\nabla f(X)\|^2-\E\|\nabla f(X) \|^2\big|.$$ This result is applied to construct specific examples of spherical harmonics of arbitrary (odd) degree which are close to Gaussian in distribution. A second application is given to random linear combin…
We show in a unified manner that the factorization method describes completely the $L^2$-eigenspaces associated to the discrete part of the spectrum of the twisted Laplacian on constant curvature Riemann surfaces. Subclasses of two variable orthogonal polynomials are then derived and arise by successive derivations of elementary complex valued functions depending on the geometry of the surface.
We study the growth of Laplacian eigenfunctions $ -Δϕ_k = λ_k ϕ_k$ on compact manifolds $(M,g)$. Hörmander proved sharp polynomial bounds on $\| ϕ_k\|_{L^{\infty}}$ which are attained on the sphere. On a `generic' manifold, the behavior seems to be different: both numerics and Berry's random wave model suggest $\| ϕ_k\|_{L^{\infty}} \lesssim \sqrt{\log{λ_k}}$ as the typical behavior. We propose a mechanism, centered around an $L^1-$analogue of the spectral projector, for explaining the slow growth in the generic case: for $ϕ_{n+1}(x_0)$ to be large, it is necessary that either (1) several of t…
In this paper, we derive the sharp lower and upper bounds of nodal lengths of Laplacian eigenfunctions in the disc. Furthermore, we observe a geometric property of the eigenfunctions whose nodal curves maximize the nodal length.
In this paper, we study eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of $p$-Laplacians with Dirichlet boundary condition on graphs. We characterize the first eigenfunction (and the maximum eigenfunction for a bipartite graph) via the sign condition. By the uniqueness of the first eigenfunction of $p$-Laplacian, as $p\to 1,$ we identify the Cheeger constant of a symmetric graph with that of the quotient graph. By this approach, we calculate various Cheeger constants of spherically symmetric graphs.
In the continuous setting, we expect the product of two oscillating functions to oscillate even more (generically). On a graph $G=(V,E)$, there are only $|V|$ eigenvectors of the Laplacian $L=D-A$, so one oscillates `the most'. The purpose of this short note is to point out an interesting phenomenon: if $ϕ_1, ϕ_2$ are delocalized eigenvectors of $L$ corresponding to large eigenvalues, then their (pointwise) product $ϕ_1 \cdot ϕ_2$ is smooth (in the sense of small Dirichlet energy): highly oscillatory functions have largely matching oscillation patterns.
For $d \in \N$ and $Ω\ne \emptyset$ an open set in $\R^d$, we consider the eigenfunctions $Φ$ of the Dirichlet Laplacian $-Δ_Ω$ of $Ω$. If $Φ$ is associated with an eigenvalue below the essential spectrum of $-Δ_Ω$ we provide estimates for the $L_1$-norm of $Φ$ in terms of its $L_2$-norm and spectral data. These $L_1$-estimates are then used in the comparison of the heat content of $Ω$ at time $t>0$ and the heat trace at times $t' > 0$, where a two-sided estimate is established. We furthermore show that all eigenfunctions of $-Δ_Ω$ which are associated with a discrete eigenvalue of $H_Ω$, belo…
University of California, San Diego（加利福尼亚大学圣迭戈分校）；Yale University（耶鲁大学）
We discuss the geometry of Laplacian eigenfunctions $-Δϕ= λϕ$ on compact manifolds $(M,g)$ and combinatorial graphs $G=(V,E)$. The 'dual' geometry of Laplacian eigenfunctions is well understood on $\mathbb{T}^d$ (identified with $\mathbb{Z}^d$) and $\mathbb{R}^n$ (which is self-dual). The dual geometry is of tremendous role in various fields of pure and applied mathematics. The purpose of our paper is to point out a notion of similarity between eigenfunctions that allows to reconstruct that geometry. Our measure of 'similarity' $ α(ϕ_λ, ϕ_μ)$ between eigenfunctions $ϕ_λ$ and $ϕ_μ$ is given by …
We study products of eigenfunctions of the Laplacian $-Δϕ_λ = λϕ_λ$ on compact manifolds. If $ϕ_μ, ϕ_λ$ are two eigenfunctions and $μ\leq λ$, then one would perhaps expect their product $ϕ_μϕ_λ$ to be mostly a linear combination of eigenfunctions with eigenvalue close to $λ$. This can faily quite dramatically: on $\mathbb{T}^2$, we see that $$ 2\sin{(n x)} \sin{((n+1) x)} = \cos{(x)} - \cos{( (2n+1) x)} $$ has half of its $L^2-$mass at eigenvalue 1. Conversely, the product $$ \sin{(n x)} \sin{(m y)} \qquad \mbox{lives at eigenvalue} \quad \max{\left\{m^2,n^2\right\}} \leq m^2 + n^2 \leq 2\max{…
Motivated by the study of high energy Steklov eigenfunctions, we examine the semi-classical Robin Laplacian. In the two dimensional situation, we determine an effective operator describing the asymptotic distribution of the negative eigenvalues, and we prove that the corresponding eigenfunctions decay away from the boundary, for all dimensions.
We consider the Laplace operator with Dirichlet boundary conditions on a planar domain and study the effect that performing a scaling in one direction has on the spectrum. We derive the asymptotic expansion for the eigenvalues and corresponding eigenfunctions as a function of the scaling parameter around zero. This method allows us, for instance, to obtain an approximation for the first Dirichlet eigenvalue for a large class of planar domains, under very mild assumptions.
The eigenfunctions e^{i λx} of the Laplacian on a flat torus have uniformly bounded L^p norms. In this article, we prove that for every other quantum integrable Laplacian, the L^p norms of the joint eigenfunctions must blow up at a rate \gg λ^{p-2/4p - ε} for every ε>0 as λ\to \infty.
We consider the Laplacian on a periodic metric graph and obtain its decomposition into a direct fiber integral in terms of the corresponding discrete Laplacian. Eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the fiber metric Laplacian are expressed explicitly in terms of eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of the corresponding fiber discrete Laplacian and eigenfunctions of the Dirichlet problem on the unit interval. We show that all these eigenfunctions are uniformly bounded. We apply these results to the periodic metric Laplacian perturbed by real integrable potentials. We prove the following: a) the wave oper…
This is an expository article based on my lectures on eigenfunctions of the Laplacian for the 2013 IAS/Park City Mathematics Institute (PCMI) summer school in geometric analysis. Many of the results are based on joint work with H. Christianson, J. Jung, C. Sogge, and J. Toth.
In this note we analyse $L^{p}$ estimates for Laplacian eigenfunctions and quasimodes and their associated sharp examples. In particular we use previously determined estimates to produce a new set of estimates for restriction to thickened neighbourhoods of submanifolds. In addition we produce a family flat model quasimode examples that can be used to determine sharpness of estimates on Laplacian eigenfunctions restricted to subsets. For each quasimode in the family we show that there is a corresponding spherical harmonic that displays the same growth properties. Therefore it is enough to check…
This is a survey on eigenfunctions of the Laplacian on Riemannian manifolds (mainly compact and without boundary). We discuss both local results obtained by analyzing eigenfunctions on small balls, and global results obtained by wave equation methods. Among the main topics are nodal sets, quantum limits, and $L^p$ norms of global eigenfunctions.
In this paper we continue our study of the Laplacian on manifolds with axial analytic asymptotically cylindrical ends initiated in~arXiv:1003.2538. By using the complex scaling method and the Phragmén-Lindelöf principle we prove exponential decay of the eigenfunctions corresponding to the non-threshold eigenvalues of the Laplacian on functions. In the case of a manifold with (non-compact) boundary it is either the Dirichlet Laplacian or the Neumann Laplacian. We show that the rate of exponential decay of an eigenfunction is prescribed by the distance from the corresponding eigenvalue to the ne…
In this paper, we show that equality in Courant's nodal domain theorem can only be reached for a finite number of eigenvalues of the Neumann Laplacian, in the case of an open, bounded and connected set in R n with a C 1,1 boundary. This result is analogous to Pleijel's nodal domain theorem for the Dirichlet Laplacian (1956). It confirms, in all dimensions, a conjecture formulated by Pleijel, which had already been solved by I. Polterovich for a two-dimensional domain with a piecewise-analytic boundary (2009). We also show that the argument and the result extend to a class of Robin boundary con…
We study the behaviour of the first eigenfunction of the Dirichlet Laplacian on a planar convex domain near its maximum. We show that the eccentricity and orientation of the superlevel sets of the eigenfunction stabilise as they approach the maximum, uniformly with respect to the eccentricity of the domain itself. This is achieved by obtaining quantitatively sharp second derivative estimates, which are consistent with the shape of the superlevel sets. In particular, we prove that the eigenfunction is concave (rather than merely log concave) in an entire superlevel set near its maximum. By esti…
Let $e_ł(x)$ be a Neumann eigenfunction with respect to the positive Laplacian $Δ$ on a compact Riemannian manifold $M$ with boundary such that $Δ\, e_ł=ł^2 e_ł$ in the interior of $M$ and the normal derivative of $e_ł$ vanishes on the boundary of $M$. Let $χ_λ$ be the unit band spectral projection operator associated with the Neumann Laplacian and $f$ a square integrable function on $M$. We show the following gradient estimate for $χ_λ\,f$ as $λ\geq 1$: $\|\nabla\ χ_ł f\|_\infty\leq Cł\|χ_ł\f\|_\infty+ł^{-1}\|Δ χ_ł f\|_\infty$, where $C$ is a positive constant depending only on $M$. As a coro…
In this paper we consider eigenfunctions of the Laplacian on a planar domain with polygonal boundary with Dirichlet, Neumann, or mixed boundary conditions. The main result is a quantitative estimate on the $L^2$ mass of eigenfunctions near a point in terms of the distance to the nearest non-adjacent boundary face. In particular, eigenfunctions cannot concentrate completely at any one single point. The technique of proof is to use the commutator ideas from the recent work of the author \cite{Chr-tri,Chr-simp} on triangles and simplices.
We consider the nonlinear graph $p$-Laplacian and its set of eigenvalues and associated eigenfunctions of this operator defined by a variational principle. We prove a nodal domain theorem for the graph $p$-Laplacian for any $p\geq 1$. While for $p>1$ the bounds on the number of weak and strong nodal domains are the same as for the linear graph Laplacian ($p=2$), the behavior changes for $p=1$. We show that the bounds are tight for $p\geq 1$ as the bounds are attained by the eigenfunctions of the graph $p$-Laplacian on two graphs. Finally, using the properties of the nodal domains, we prove a h…
We study existence and absence of $\ell^2$-eigenfunctions of the combinatorial Laplacian on the 11 Archimedean tilings of the Euclidean plane by regular convex polygons. We show that exactly two of these tilings (namely the $(3.6)^2$ "Kagome" tiling and the $(3.12^2)$ tiling) have $\ell^2$-eigenfunctions. These eigenfunctions are infinitely degenerate and are constituted of explicitly described eigenfunctions which are supported on a finite number of vertices of the underlying graph (namely on the hexagons and $12$-gons in the tilings, respectively). Furthermore, we provide an explicit express…
