On the $p$-Laplacian Quadrature Surface Free Boundary Problem on Riemannian Manifolds: Sufficient condition of existence

Abstract

We study the $p$-Laplacian quadrature surface free boundary problem on a compact Riemannian manifold $(\M,g)$ of dimension $N\ge 2$, for $1<p<\infty$. Given a nonnegative source $f \in L^p_g(\M)$ with compact support $K$, and $k>0$, one seeks a domain $\Omega \supset K$ on which the overdetermined problem $-{\Delta }_{p,g}u=f$ in $\Omega$, $u=0$ and $|{\nabla }_{g}u{|}_g=k$ on $\partial \Omega$ admits a solution. Following the geometric and variational framework of Djité--Seck, we prove that the integral condition \[ (NS)_{p,g} \qquad \int_C f\,dv(g) > k^{p-1}\,|\partial C|_g, \] where $C$ is the totally convex hull of $K$, is \emph{sufficient} for the existence of a solution strictly containing $C$. We then show, by an explicit counterexample on the round sphere $S_R^n$, that $(NS{)}_{p,g}$ is \emph{not necessary} in general under nonnegative curvature: the mechanism is that the perimeter is not monotone with respect to inclusion in positive curvature. Finally, we identify an additional geometric hypothesis---perimeter monotonicity on the admissible class inside a normal convex neighborhood of $C$---under which necessity is restored, and we discuss the critical equality case ${\int }_{C}fdv(g)=k^{p-1}|\partial C{|}_g$.