Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Andrea Malchiodi

Publications and source records attributed to Andrea Malchiodi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Double Bubbles with High Constant Mean Curvatures in Riemannian Manifolds

We obtain existence of double bubbles of large and constant mean curvatures in Riemannian manifolds. These arise as perturbations of geodesic standard double bubbles centered at critical points of the ambient scalar curvature and aligned along eigen-vectors of the ambient Ricci tensor. We also obtain general multiplicity results via Lusternik-Schnirelman theory, and extra ones in case of double bubbles whose opposite boundaries have the same mean curvature.

math.DG↗

Prescribing Morse scalar curvatures: pinching and Morse theory

We consider the problem of prescribing conformally the scalar curvature on compact manifolds of positive Yamabe class in dimension $n \geq 5$. We prove new existence results using Morse theory and some analysis on blowing-up solutions, under suitable pinching conditions on the curvature function. We also provide new non-existence results showing the sharpness of some of our assumptions, both in terms of the dimension and of the Morse structure of the prescribed function.

math.AP↗

Min-max solutions for super sinh-Gordon equations on compact surfaces

In the present paper we initiate the variational analysis of a super sinh-Gordon system on compact surfaces, yielding the first example of non-trivial solution of min-max type. The proof is based on a linking argument jointly with a suitably defined Nehari manifold and a careful analysis of Palais-Smale sequences. We complement this study with a multiplicity result exploiting the symmetry of the problem.

math.AP↗

Ground state Dirac bubbles and Killing spinors

We prove a classification result for ground state solutions of the critical Dirac equation on $\mathbb{R}^n$, $n\geq2$. By exploiting its conformal covariance, the equation can be posed on the round sphere $\mathbb{S}^n$ and the non-zero solutions at the ground level are given by Killing spinors, up to conformal diffeomorphisms. Moreover, such ground state solutions of the critical Dirac equation are also related to the Yamabe equation for the sphere, for which we crucially exploit some known classification results.

math.AP↗

A gap theorem for $α$-harmonic maps between two-spheres

In this paper we consider approximations introduced by Sacks-Uhlenbeck of the harmonic energy for maps from $S^2$ into $S^2$. We continue the analysis in [6] about limits of $α$-harmonic maps with uniformly bounded energy. Using a recent energy identity in [7], we obtain an optimal gap theorem for the $α$-harmonic maps of degree $-1, 0$ or $1$.

math.DG↗

Prescribing Morse scalar curvatures: subcritical blowing-up solutions

Prescribing conformally the scalar curvature of a Riemannian manifold as a given function consists in solving an elliptic PDE involving the critical Sobolev exponent. One way of attacking this problem consist in using subcritical approximations for the equation, gaining compactness properties. Together with the results in \cite{MM1}, we completely describe the blow-up phenomenon in case of uniformly bounded energy and zero weak limit in positive Yamabe class. In particular, for dimension greater or equal to five, Morse functions and with non-zero Laplacian at each critical point, we show that subsets of critical points with negative Laplacian are in one-to-one correspondence with such subcritical blowing-up solutions.

math.AP↗

Prescribing Morse scalar curvatures: blow-up analysis

We study finite-energy blow-ups for prescribed Morse scalar curvatures in both the subcritical and the critical regime. After general considerations on Palais-Smale sequences we determine precise blow up rates for subcritical solutions: in particular the possibility of tower bubbles is excluded in all dimensions. In subsequent papers we aim to establish the sharpness of this result, proving a converse existence statement, together with a one to one correspondence of blowing-up subcritical solutions and {\em critical points at infinity}. This analysis will be then applied to deduce new existence results for the geometric problem.

math.AP↗

Mean field equations and domains of first kind

In this paper we are interested in understanding the structure of domains of first and second kind, a concept motivated by problems in statistical mechanics. We prove some openness property for domains of first kind with respect to a suitable topology, as well as some sufficient condition for a simply connected domain to be of first kind in terms of the Fourier coefficients of the Riemann map. Finally, we show that the set of simply connected domains of first kind is contractible.

math.AP↗

Existence results for a super-Liouville equation on compact surfaces

We are concerned with a super-Liouville equation on compact surfaces with genus larger than one, obtaining the first non-trivial existence result for this class of problems via min-max methods. In particular we make use of a Nehari manifold and, after showing the validity of the Palais-Smale condition, we exhibit either a mountain pass or linking geometry.

math.AP↗

Critical metrics for Log-determinant functionals in conformal geometry

We consider critical points of a class of functionals on compact four-dimensional manifolds arising from Regularized Determinants for conformally covariant operators, whose explicit form was derived in [10], extending Polyakov's formula. These correspond to solutions of elliptic equations of Liouville type that are quasilinear, of mixed orders and of critical type. After studying existence, asymptotic behaviour and uniqueness of fundamental solutions, we prove a quantization property under blow-up, and then derive existence results via critical point theory.

math.AP↗

On the Sobolev quotient of three-dimensional CR manifolds

We exhibit examples of compact three-dimensional CR manifolds of positive Webster class, {\em Rossi spheres}, for which the pseudo-hermitian mass as defined in \cite{CMY17} is negative, and for which the infimum of the CR-Sobolev quotient is not attained. To our knowledge, this is the first geometric context on smooth closed manifolds where this phenomenon arises, in striking contrast to the Riemannian case.

math.DG↗

Conformal metrics with prescribed Gaussian and geodesic curvatures

We consider the problem of prescribing the Gaussian and the geodesic curvatures of a compact surface with boundary by a conformal deformation of the metric. We derive some existence results using a variational approach, either by minimization of the Euler-Lagrange energy or via min-max methods. One of the main tools in our approach is a blow-up analysis of solutions, which in the present setting can have diverging volume. To our knowledge, this is the first time in which such an aspect is treated. Key ingredients in our arguments are: a blow-up analysis around a sequence of points different from local maxima; the use of holomorphic domain-variations; and Morse-index estimates.

math.AP↗

Foliation by area-constrained Willmore spheres near a non-degenerate critical point of the scalar curvature

Let $(M,g)$ be a 3-dimensional Riemannian manifold. The goal of the paper it to show that if $P_{0}\in M$ is a non-degenerate critical point of the scalar curvature, then a neighborhood of $P_{0}$ is foliated by area-constrained Willmore spheres. Such a foliation is unique among foliations by area-constrained Willmore spheres having Willmore energy less than $32π$, moreover it is regular in the sense that a suitable rescaling smoothly converges to a round sphere in the Euclidean three-dimensional space. We also establish generic multiplicity of foliations and the first multiplicity result for area-constrained Willmore spheres with prescribed (small) area in a closed Riemannian manifold. The topic has strict links with the Hawking mass.

math.DG↗

On critical points of the relative fractional perimeter

We study the localization of sets with constant nonlocal mean curvature and prescribed small volume in a bounded open set with smooth boundary, proving that they are {\em sufficiently close} to critical points of a suitable non-local potential. We then consider the fractional perimeter in half-spaces. We prove the existence of a minimizer under fixed volume constraint, showing some of its properties such as smoothness and symmetry, being a graph in the $x_N$-direction, and characterizing its intersection with the hyperplane $\{x_N=0\}$.

math.AP↗

Periodic solutions to the Cahn-Hilliard equation in the plane

In this paper we construct entire solutions to the Cahn-Hilliard equation $-Δ(-Δu+W^{'}(u))+W^{"}(u)(-Δu+W^{'}(u))=0$ in the Euclidean plane, where $W(u)$ is the standard double-well potential $\frac{1}{4} (1-u^2)^2$. Such solutions have a non-trivial profile that shadows a Willmore planar curve, and converge uniformly to $\pm 1$ as $x_2 \to \pm \infty$. These solutions give a counterexample to the counterpart of Gibbons' conjecture for the fourth-order counterpart of the Allen-Cahn equation. We also study the $x_2$-derivative of these solutions using the special structure of Willmore's equation.

math.AP↗

Embedded area-constrained Willmore tori of small area in Riemannian three-manifolds I: Minimization

We construct embedded Willmore tori with small area constraint in Riemannian three-manifolds under some curvature condition used to prevent Möbius degeneration. The construction relies on a Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction; to this aim we establish new geometric expansions of exponentiated small symmetric Clifford tori and analyze the sharp asymptotic behavior of degenerating tori under the action of the Möbius group. In this first work we prove two existence results by minimizing or maximizing a suitable reduced functional, in particular we obtain embedded area-constrained Willmore tori (or, equivalently, toroidal critical points of the Hawking mass under area-constraint) in compact 3-manifolds with constant scalar curvature and in the double Schwarzschild space. In a forthcoming paper new existence theorems will be achieved via Morse theory.

math.DG↗

Embedded area-constrained Willmore tori of small area in Riemannian three-manifolds II: Morse Theory

This is the second of a series of two papers where we construct embedded Willmore tori with small area constraint in Riemannian three-manifolds. In both papers the construction relies on a Lyapunov-Schmidt reduction, the difficulty being the Möbius degeneration of the tori. In the first paper the construction was performed via minimization, here by Morse Theory; to this aim we establish new geometric expansions of the derivative of the Willmore functional on exponentiated small Clifford tori degenerating, under the action of the Möbius group, to small geodesic spheres with a small handle. By using these sharp asymptotics we give sufficient conditions, in terms of the ambient curvature tensors and Morse inequalities, for having existence/multiplicity of embedded tori stationary for the Willmore functional under the constraint of prescribed (sufficiently small) area.

math.DG↗