On the First Eigenvalue of the $p$-Laplace Operator with Robin Boundary Conditions in the Complement of a Compact Set

Abstract

We consider the first eigenvalue $\lambda_1$ of the $p$-Laplace operator subject to Robin boundary conditions in the exterior of a compact set. We discuss the conditions for the existence of a variational $\lambda_1$, depending on the boundary parameter, the space dimension, and $p$. Our analysis involves the first $p$-harmonic Steklov eigenvalue in exterior domains. We establish properties of $\lambda_1$ for the exterior of a ball, including general inequalities, the asymptotic behavior as the boundary parameter approaches zero, and a monotonicity result with respect to a special type of domain inclusion. In two dimensions, we generalized to $p\neq 2$ some known shape optimization results.