Steklov Spectral Uniqueness of Geodesic Balls in 3-Dimensional Space Forms via Guillemin--Wodzicki Residues

Abstract

Let $\Lambda$ be the Dirichlet-to-Neumann operator on the boundary of a compact three-dimensional Riemannian manifold. Using the Lee--Uhlmann full-symbol formula and Weyl's invariant theory, we compute the Guillemin--Wodzicki residues of $\Lambda$ and $\Lambda^2$ explicitly, and hence the first two logarithmic coefficients in the Steklov heat trace. As an application, we prove that geodesic balls in simply connected three-dimensional space forms are determined by their Steklov spectra among smooth domains in the same space form. More generally, we obtain a rigidity theorem in the class of compact constant-curvature manifolds with smooth, not necessarily connected, boundary. In the Euclidean case, we also prove spectral uniqueness for concentric spherical shell regions.