A solution by Open-AI

Complete Solution

Posted online: 2026-10-08 04:49:12Z by Henrik Shahgholian

Cite as: S-261008.1

This is a previous version of the post. You can go to the current version.

Stationary hot spots in a grounded heat conductor

Let $\Omega$ be a bounded convex domain in Euclidean space. Consider in $\Omega$ the solution $u$ of the heat equation, which is initially equal to $1$ in $\Omega$ and is equal to $0$ on the boundary of $\Omega$ for all times. We know that $u$ has only one critical point in $\Omega$ at each time. This point is called the hot spot and in general moves in time. Let $0\in\Omega$; it is known that, if $\Omega$ is invariant under the action of an essential group $G$ of orthogonal transformations with center at $0$, the hot spot does not move and stays at $0$. We say that $G$ is essential if, for any $x\ne 0$, there is $g\in G$ such that $g\,x\ne x$. Chamberland and Siegel conjectured in 1997 that the converse is true: if the hot spot does not move with time, then $\Omega$ is invariant under the action of $G$. The conjecture is true if $\Omega$ is a triangle or a quadrangle. It is also true for pentagons and hexagons whose sides have the same distance from $0$.

Solution Description

OpenAI September 24, 2026

Abstract:

We prove the strict hot spots conjecture for smooth bounded simply connected planar domains. More precisely, every nonzero eigenfunction for the first positive Neumann eigenvalue has nonvanishing gradient in the interior, so all its global maxima and minima lie on the boundary. This holds even when the eigenvalue is multiple.

https://github.com/openai/math/blob/main/preprints/Strict-hot-spots-and-absence-of-interior-critical-points-on-smooth-simply-connected-planar-domains-September-24-2026/main.pdf

  1. Article Is an originStrict hot spots and absence of interior critical points on smooth simply connected planar domains

    fulltext