Critical points of Laplace eigenfunctions on polygons

Abstract

We study the critical points of Laplace eigenfunctions on polygonal domains with a focus on the second Neumann eigenfunction. We show that if each convex quadrilaterals has no second Neumann eigenfunction with an interior critical point, then there exists a convex quadrilateral with an unstable critical point. We also show that each critical point of a second-Neumann eigenfunction on a Lip-1 polygon with no orthogonal sides is an acute vertex.

30 pages, 1 figure