On a property of the nodal set of least energy sign-changing solutions for quasilinear elliptic equations

Abstract

AbstractIn this note, we prove the Payne-type conjecture about the behaviour of the nodal set of least energy sign-changing solutions for the equation $-\Delta _p u = f(u)$ in bounded Steiner symmetric domains $ \Omega \subset {{\open R}^N} $ under the zero Dirichlet boundary conditions. The nonlinearity f is assumed to be either superlinear or resonant. In the latter case, least energy sign-changing solutions are second eigenfunctions of the zero Dirichlet p-Laplacian in Ω. We show that the nodal set of any least energy sign-changing solution intersects the boundary of Ω. The proof is based on a moving polarization argument.