Calculus of Variations and Geometric Measure Theory

M. Carducci - B. Velichkov

A minimizing cone from Cartan polynomials in the Alt-Caffarelli problem

created by carducci on 29 Sep 2026

[BibTeX]

preprint

Inserted: 29 sep 2026

Year: 2026

ArXiv: 2609.35179 PDF

Abstract:

In this paper we study a class of 1-homogeneous solutions of the one-phase problem coming from the Cartan isoparametric cubic polynomials, which exist only in dimensions $d=5,8,14,26$. Our main result shows that they are unstable in dimensions $d=5,8,14$, and minimizing in dimension $d=26$. This provides the first example of a singular minimizing cone in the Alt-Caffarelli problem that is neither axially symmetric nor of Lawson-type.