The Ekeland--Nirenberg Variational Problem:A Sharp Positivity Threshold and Extensions

Abstract

We study the Ekeland--Nirenberg variational problem in the two-dimensional diagonal family \[ J_{a,c,d}(u)=\int_{\Rp^2}\bigl(u_{xy}^2+a u_x^2+c u_y^2+d u^2\bigr)\dd x\dd y, \qquad a,c,d>0, \] under the constraint $u(0,0)=1$. If $u_{a,c,d}$ is the unique minimizer and $K_{a,c,d}$ is its cosine kernel, we prove the sharp classification \[ K_{a,c,d}>0 \hbox{ on } \Rp^2\quad\Longleftrightarrow\quad u_{a,c,d}>0 \hbox{ on } \Rp^2\quad\Longleftrightarrow\quad d\le ac . \] Thus every supercritical triple $d>ac$ produces sign change. We also prove local sign-change stability under small two-dimensional non-diagonal perturbations and a sharp product-type $n$-dimensional diagonal threshold. The domain and evolution results are stated in precise auxiliary settings: a free-boundary capacity formulation for domains and a selected decaying branch of the second-order evolution equation.