Spectral isoperimetric inequalities for Robin Laplacians on 2-manifolds and unbounded cones

Abstract

We consider the problem of geometric optimization of the lowest eigenvalue for the Laplacian on a compact, simply-connected two-dimensional manifold with boundary subject to an attractive Robin boundary condition. We prove that in the sub-class of manifolds with the Gauss curvature bounded from above by a constant Kº ≥ 0 and under the constraint of fixed perimeter, the geodesic disk of constant curvature Kº maximizes the lowest Robin eigenvalue. In the same geometric setting, it is proved that the spectral isoperimetric inequality holds for the lowest eigenvalue of the Dirichlet-to-Neumann operator. Finally, we adapt our methods to Robin Laplacians acting on unbounded three-dimensional cones to show that, under a constraint of fixed perimeter of the cross-section, the lowest Robin eigenvalue is maximized by the circular cone.