3 - The Laplacian on a Domain

Summary

We discuss the definition of the Laplace operator on an open subset in Euclidean space as a self-adjoint operator with Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions and we derive its basic spectral properties. Among others, we include the spectral inequalities of Faber–Krahn, Hersch, and Friedlander. Then, using the technique of Dirichlet–Neumann bracketing, we derive Weyl's law for the asymptotic distribution of eigenvalues. We supplement this with a discussion of non-asymptotic bounds, including Pólya's conjecture and its proof for tiling domains and domains of product form. We present the sharp eigenvalue bounds of Berezin and Li–Yau. Finally, using separation of variables in spherical coordinates, we discuss the Laplacian on a ball.