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On the planar Neumann–Poincaré inverse spectral problem

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Abstract

Does the Neumann–Poincaré spectrum determine a planar domain up to an extended Möbius transformation? We construct a pair showing that the answer is no, even for analytic, strictly convex, algebraic boundaries. Their operators are similar. We then prove a positive result for prescribed finite-dimensional families of normalised exterior conformal maps. For every m≥1m\ge1, the first mm positive eigenvalues determine mm real Laurent coefficients on a small truncated convex cone, provided the higher coefficients are a prescribed analytic remainder of quadratic order. Recovery is Lipschitz stable, uniformly down to the disk. The proof combines the Grunsky representation with a nondegeneracy argument for weighted Hankel matrices and differentiated perturbation estimates. Explicit two- and three-parameter examples, single-mode families with repeated leading eigenvalues, and Möbius equivalence classes illustrate the result. Direct proofs for complete polarization data show what spectral weights add to the eigenvalues.

Introduction

The spectrum of the planar Neumann–Poincaré (NP) operator is unchanged by extended Möbius transformations. Do these transformations account for all domains with the same spectrum? We show that they do not, even for analytic, strictly convex domains arbitrarily close to the disk. We also show that finitely many eigenvalues can determine a domain stably within a prescribed finite-dimensional family.

Let D⊂R2D \subset\mathbb{R}^{2} be a bounded smooth Jordan domain, with outward unit normal ν\nu. Our normalisation is

KD∗[φ](x)=12π∫∂D(x−y)⋅νx∣x−y∣2φ(y) dsy,x∈∂D.(1)K_D^*[\varphi](x)=\frac{1}{2\pi}\int_{\partial D}\frac{(x-y)\cdot\nu_x}{|x-y|^2}\varphi(y)\,\mathrm{d}s_y,\qquad x\in\partial D. \tag*{(1)}

The single-layer potential has kernel (2π)−1log⁡∣x−y∣(2\pi)^{-1}\log|x-y|. Its exterior and interior normal derivatives are (12I+KD∗)φ(\frac{1}{2}I+K_D^*)\varphi and (−12I+KD∗)φ(-\frac{1}{2}I+K_D^*)\varphi. Throughout, by the NP spectrum we mean the spectrum on the mean-zero space H0−1/2(∂D)H^{-1/2}_0(\partial D), counted with multiplicities. Thus we exclude the eigenvalue 1/21/2 of the full operator. In the single-layer energy inner product the reduced operator is compact and self-adjoint, with nonzero eigenvalues in pairs μ\mu, −μ-\mu; see [15]. We denote the positive eigenvalues in nonincreasing order by λj(D)\lambda_j(D), appending zeros if there are only finitely many.

Schiffer connected this spectrum with conformal mapping through his work on Fredholm eigenvalues [18, 19]. The relation between the classical Fredholm parameter and an NP eigenvalue depends on the normalisation of the integral equation. NP eigenvalues also describe quasistatic resonances of dielectric inclusions; see [3, 2]. Recovery and design from partial spectral data were studied in [1], and reconstruction from plasmonic resonances for particular families in [4]. Shape derivatives and real-analytic dependence of symmetric functions of isolated nonzero NP eigenvalue clusters are established in [9].

The counterexample is a pair of degree-seven polynomial lemniscates. A factorisation of the difference of their defining polynomials gives a correspondence between the boundaries. Its invertible incidence matrix, combined with explicit smooth multipliers, intertwines the NP operators. An algebraic argument then rules out holomorphic and antiholomorphic Möbius equivalence. The boundaries are analytic, strictly convex and real algebraic, and approach the circle after rescaling.

For the positive results we fix capacity and translation by taking exterior conformal maps with leading coefficient one and constant coefficient zero. The first mm real Laurent coefficients are free parameters. The higher coefficients are prescribed analytic functions vanishing to second order at the disk. For every finite mm, a convex cone of parameters exists on which the first mm positive NP eigenvalues determine the coefficients with uniform Lipschitz estimates up to the vertex. The coordinate system is fixed, and uniqueness is asserted within this prescribed family.

The proof begins with the Grunsky operator. Its linear part is a finite weighted Hankel matrix, and we find directions in which the characteristic coefficients have an invertible differential and the singular values are distinct and nonzero. The nonlinear remainder is quadratic in Hilbert–Schmidt norm, with a derivative of first order. These estimates control the derivatives of the leading eigenvalues even though the spectral gaps shrink linearly at the disk. On a narrow convex cone the spectral differential stays close to one fixed invertible matrix. Integration along line segments then gives injectivity and the inverse Lipschitz estimate throughout the cone.

The resulting estimates compare parameter distance, weighted Laurent coefficient norms, Hausdorff distance, and distances between complete ordered spectra. Forward estimates hold on a small parameter ball; inverse estimates require the nondegenerate cone. For two coefficients, an explicit inverse of the leading spectral map gives a full sector. For three, exact root bounds give a cone about (1,1,1)(1,1,1). We also treat ellipses, single-mode families and Möbius-invariant classes.

Why, then, can polarization measurements determine a domain? They contain more than eigenvalues. For a harmonic polynomial HH and a polynomial GG, consider

MH,G(λ;D)=∫∂DG(λI−KD∗)−1[∂νH] ds,(2)M_{H,G}(\lambda;D)=\int_{\partial D}G(\lambda I-K_D^*)^{-1}[\partial_\nu H]\,\mathrm{d}s, \tag*{(2)}

where the inverse acts on H0−1/2(∂D)H_0^{-1/2}(\partial D) and λ\lambda lies outside the reduced spectrum. A scalar conductivity contrast k≠1k\ne1 gives λ=(k+1)/(2(k−1))\lambda=(k+1)/(2(k-1)). The expansion of (2) contains eigenvalues together with geometric excitation–observation weights. For positive conductivities, Ammari and Kang [3 Theorem 4.9] recover the inclusion and contrast from all generalised polarization tensors (GPTs). Their proof recovers a Dirichlet-to-Neumann map and uses inverse conductivity uniqueness [11]. Uniqueness from harmonic combinations alone is stated in [5 Theorem 3.1]; identification and reconstruction of algebraic boundaries from finitely many GPTs are studied in [5, 6]. We give two direct proofs for complete data: weighted spectral data determine all mixed area moments, and full uncontracted GPTs at one fixed contrast determine an analytic Jordan domain and its contrast. The second proof uses all polynomial observations, a richer data set than harmonic observations alone. Spectral uniqueness and polarization uniqueness therefore ask different questions.

Section 2 constructs the counterexample. Section 3 proves finite-dimensional recovery and stability, and § 6 works out the two- and three-parameter cases. § 7 discusses questions left open. Appendix § 8 studies the two-moment map and its critical curve; Appendix § 9 gives the polarization uniqueness proofs; Appendix § 10 develops further uniqueness classes.

An isospectral pair of polynomial lemniscates

A degree-seven polynomial correspondence supplies the counterexample. The proof has three parts: establish the geometry of the lemniscates, construct a similarity of their NP operators, and rule out extended Möbius equivalence. Polynomial difference factorisations and correspondences are treated in [8, 10]; transplantation for planar Dirichlet spectra is developed in [7].

An extended Möbius transformation is a Möbius map, possibly followed by complex conjugation. We require its pole to lie off the boundary and take the transformed domain to be the bounded component enclosed by the image boundary.

Let

d=i7,α=−1+d2,β=−5+d14,d = i\sqrt{7}, \qquad\alpha= -\frac{1+d}{2}, \qquad\beta= \frac{-5+d}{14},

and form

P(z)=z7+αz4+βz+i,Q(z)=z7+αˉz4+βˉz+i.(3)P(z) = z^7 + \alpha z^4 + \beta z + i,\qquad Q(z) = z^7 + \bar{\alpha}z^4 + \bar{\beta}z + i. \tag*{(3)}

For R≥4096R \ge4096, take DP={∣P∣<R}D_P = \{|P| < R\} and DQ={∣Q∣<R}D_Q = \{|Q| < R\}.

Theorem 2.1 (Isospectral polynomial lemniscates). The domains DPD_P, DQD_Q have analytic, strictly convex Jordan boundaries. Their full NP operators are boundedly similar on L2L^2 and on Hs(∂DP)H^s(\partial D_P) and Hs(∂DQ)H^s(\partial D_Q), for every s∈Rs \in\mathbb{R}. No holomorphic or antiholomorphic Möbius transformation relates their boundaries. Under the common rescaling z↦R−1/7zz \mapsto R^{-1/7}z, both boundaries converge to the unit circle in every fixed CkC^k norm as R→∞R \to\infty.

Figure 1 shows the pair at the threshold.

The rescaled domains and radial displacement

Figure 1. The counterexample at R=4096R = 4096, rescaled by R−1/7R^{-1/7}. Left and middle: the domains and the unit circle (dashed grey). Right: 103(rP(θ)−1)10^3(r_P(\theta)-1) and 103(rQ(θ)−1)10^3(r_Q(\theta)-1) where the normalised polar radii are computed from the polynomial equations.

Proof. 1. Boundary geometry. Let p(z)=z7+Az4+Bz+ip(z) = z^7 + Az^4 + Bz + i denote either polynomial in (3). Since ∣A∣<3/2|A| < 3/2 and ∣B∣<1/2|B| < 1/2, for ∣z∣≤3|z| \le3,

∣p(z)∣≤37+3234+123+1=2311<4096.|p(z)| \le3^7 + \frac{3}{2}3^4 + \frac{1}{2}3 + 1 = 2311 < 4096.

For ∣z∣≥3|z| \ge3, write

p=z7(1+e),p′=7z6(1+f),p′′=42z5(1+g).p = z^{7}(1+e), \qquad p' = 7z^{6}(1+f), \qquad p'' = 42z^{5}(1+g).

with

e=Az−3+Bz−6+iz−7,f=47Az−3+17Bz−6,g=27Az−3.e = Az^{-3}+Bz^{-6}+iz^{-7}, \qquad f = \frac{4}{7}Az^{-3}+\frac{1}{7}Bz^{-6}, \qquad g = \frac{2}{7}Az^{-3}.

Then

∣e∣<350,∣f∣<130,∣g∣<160.|e| < \frac{3}{50}, \qquad|f| < \frac{1}{30}, \qquad|g| < \frac{1}{60}.

Thus p,p′p,p' have no zeros there, and Re(zp′/p)>0\mathop{\mathrm{Re}}(zp'/p)>0. Along each ray, ∣p∣|p| increases strictly beyond radius three, from a value below RR to infinity. The level set is therefore a single analytic radial Jordan curve.

To check convexity, parametrise the curve locally by p(z(t))=Reitp(z(t))=Re^{it}. Its tangent angle satisfies

ddtarg⁡z′(t)=Re(1−pp′′(p′)2).\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}\arg z'(t)=\mathop{\mathrm{Re}}\left(1-\frac{pp''}{(p')^2}\right).

The estimates above give

∣(1+e)(1+g)(1+f)2−1∣<13098410<16,\left|\frac{(1+e)(1+g)}{(1+f)^2}-1\right|<\frac{1309}{8410}<\frac{1}{6},

so

ddtarg⁡z′(t)>17−6713098410=27829435>0.\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}\arg z'(t)>\frac{1}{7}-\frac{6}{7}\frac{1309}{8410}=\frac{278}{29435}>0.

The curvature is positive. The parametrisation is local because one circuit of the boundary maps to seven circuits of the target circle. Every target value τ\tau with ∣τ∣≥4096|\tau|\ge4096 is regular for both polynomials.

Rescale by z=R1/7uz=R^{1/7}u, so that the boundary equation for PP becomes

∣u7+αR−3/7u4+βR−6/7u+iR−1∣=1,\left|u^7+\alpha R^{-3/7}u^4+\beta R^{-6/7}u+iR^{-1}\right|=1,

and the equation for QQ uses the conjugates of α\alpha and β\beta. For the limiting equation ∣u7∣=1|u^7|=1, the radial derivative on ∣u∣=1|u|=1 is nonzero. The implicit function theorem gives convergence of the polar radii to one in every fixed CkC^k norm.

Similarity of the NP operators

The construction rests on the exact factorisation

P(x)−Q(y)=H(x,y)G(x,y),(4)P(x)-Q(y)=H(x,y)G(x,y), \tag*{(4)}

where

H(x,y)=x3+1+d2x2y+−1+d2xy2−y3−d7,H(x,y)=x^3+\frac{1+d}{2}x^2y+\frac{-1+d}{2}xy^2-y^3-\frac{d}{7},
G(x,y)=x4−1+d2x3y−x2y2+−1+d2xy3+y4−7+5d14x+−7+5d14y.G(x,y)=x^4-\frac{1+d}{2}x^3y-x^2y^2+\frac{-1+d}{2}xy^3+y^4-\frac{7+5d}{14}x+\frac{-7+5d}{14}y.

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