This paper studies a conjecture made by E. De Giorgi in 1978 concerning the one-dimensional character (or symmetry) of bounded, monotone in one direction, solutions of semilinear elliptic equations $\Delta u=F'(u)$ in all of $R^n$. We extend to all nonlinearities $F\in C^2$ the symmetry result in dimension $n=3$ previously established by the second and the third authors for a class of nonlinearities $F$ which included the model case $F'(u)=u^3-u$. The extension of the present paper is based on a new energy estimates which follows from a local minimality property of $u$. In addition, we prove a symmetry result for semilinear equations in the halfspace $R^4_+$. Finally, we establish that an asymptotic version of the conjecture of De Giorgi is true when $n \le 8$, namely that the level sets of $u$ are flat at infinity.
Autori interni: | |
Autori: | Alberti, Giovanni; Ambrosio, Luigi; Cabre', Xavier |
Titolo: | On a long standing conjecture of E. De Giorgi: old and recent results |
Anno del prodotto: | 2001 |
Abstract: | This paper studies a conjecture made by E. De Giorgi in 1978 concerning the one-dimensional character (or symmetry) of bounded, monotone in one direction, solutions of semilinear elliptic equations $\Delta u=F'(u)$ in all of $R^n$. We extend to all nonlinearities $F\in C^2$ the symmetry result in dimension $n=3$ previously established by the second and the third authors for a class of nonlinearities $F$ which included the model case $F'(u)=u^3-u$. The extension of the present paper is based on a new energy estimates which follows from a local minimality property of $u$. In addition, we prove a symmetry result for semilinear equations in the halfspace $R^4_+$. Finally, we establish that an asymptotic version of the conjecture of De Giorgi is true when $n \le 8$, namely that the level sets of $u$ are flat at infinity. |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | 10.1023/A:1010602715526 |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.1 Articolo in rivista |