Published Paper

Inserted: 18 sep 2023
Last Updated: 7 dec 2023

Journal: Annali di Matematica Pura ed Applicata (1923 -)
Year: 2023
Doi: 10.1007/s10231-023-01403-1

Abstract:

The key point to prove the optimal $C^{1,\frac12}$ regularity of the thin obstacle problem is that the frequency at a point of the free boundary $x_0\in\Gamma(u)$, say $N^{x_0}(0^+,u)$, satisfies the lower bound $N^{x_0}(0^+,u)\ge\frac32$. In this paper we show an alternative method to prove this estimate, using an epiperimetric inequality for negative energies $W_\frac32$. It allows to say that there are not $\lambda-$homogeneous global solutions with $\lambda\in (1,\frac32)$, and by this frequancy gap, we obtain the desired lower bound, thus a new self contained proof of the optimal regularity.