UDC 517.54
MATHEMATICS
Submitted 1967-01-01 | RussiaRxiv: ru-196701.49771 | Translated from Russian

Abstract

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UDC 517.54

MATHEMATICS

S. L. KRUSHKAL

ON EXTREMAL QUASICONFORMAL MAPPINGS WITH A PRESCRIBED BOUNDARY CORRESPONDENCE

(Presented by Academician M. A. Lavrent'ev, 5 X 1966)

  1. A quasiconformal homeomorphism \(w=f(z)\) of the disk \(U:\ |z|<1\) onto the disk \(U':\ |w|<1\) with (measurable) characteristic \(\mu(z)=w_{\bar z}/w_z\) (related to the characteristics \(p(z), \theta(z)\) of M. A. Lavrent'ev \((^1)\) by the relation \(\mu=-[(p-1)/(p+1)]e^{2i\theta}\)), for which
    \[ \operatorname*{vrai\,max}_{z\in U}|\mu(z)|=k<1, \]
    i.e., the maximal dilatation \(K[f]=(1+k)/(1-k)<\infty\), induces a homeomorphism \(\tau=\omega(t)\) of the circle \(S:\ |t|=1\) onto \(S':\ |\tau|=1\), satisfying the known conditions (see \((^2)\)). Let \(\Omega\) be the set of all homeomorphisms \(\tau=\omega(t): S\to S'\) admitting a quasiconformal extension into the disk \(U\), and let \(Q(\omega)\) be the class of all quasiconformal mappings \(w=f(z): U\to U'\) with the restriction \(f|_S=\omega\), for a given \(\omega\in\Omega\). In this note we consider properties of mappings for which
    \[ K[f_0]=\inf_{f\in Q(\omega)} K[f]. \]

It is known \((^{3-6})\) that in the class of quasiconformal homeomorphisms \(w=f(z)\) of the disk \(U\) onto \(U'\), carrying prescribed boundary points \(z_1,\ldots,z_n,\ |z_i|=1\), to prescribed points \(w_1,\ldots,w_n,\ w_i=f(z_i)\), there exists, and moreover uniquely, a mapping with least maximal dilatation \(K[f]\). This extremal mapping has a characteristic of the form \(\mu(z)=k\varphi(z)/|\varphi(z)|\), where \(k=\mathrm{const}\), and \(\varphi(z)\) is a function analytic in the disk \(|z|\leq 1\), except, possibly, for the points \(z_1,\ldots,z_n\), where it may have simple poles*. If, however, one considers quasiconformal mappings with a prescribed boundary correspondence \(\omega\), then in this class there may exist extremal mappings which no longer possess analogous properties. Indeed, as an example constructed in \((^7)\), no. 7, shows, there exist homeomorphisms \(\omega\in\Omega\) such that in the class \(Q(\omega)\) there are, moreover distinct, extremal mappings for which \(|\mu(z)|\ne \mathrm{const}\), as well as such mappings that \(|\mu(z)|=k=\mathrm{const}\), but \(\mu(z)\) cannot be represented in the form \(\mu(z)=k\overline{\varphi(z)}/|\varphi(z)|,\ \varphi\in A(U)\), where \(A(U)\) denotes the Banach space of analytic functions in the disk \(U\) with finite norm
\[ \|\varphi\|_{A(U)}=\iint_U |\varphi(z)|\,dx\,dy,\quad z=x+iy. \]

A quasiconformal mapping \(w=f_0(z): U\to U'\) with characteristic of the form
\[ \mu(z)=k\overline{\varphi(z)}/|\varphi(z)|,\quad k=\mathrm{const},\quad \varphi\in A(U), \tag{1} \]
will be called a Teichmüller mapping. In \((^8)\) it is proved that the Teichmüller mapping \(f_0(z)\) is the unique extremal mapping in the class \(Q(\omega)\), where \(\omega=f_0|_S\).

  1. For a given \(\omega\in\Omega\), put
    \[ K_0[\omega]=\inf_{f\in Q(\omega)} K[f] \]
    and
    \[ k_0=(K_0[\omega]-1)/(K_0[\omega]+1). \]
    Denote by \(f_n(z)\) the extremal with respect to

* In the case when the parameter \(z\) is local, the quadratic differential \(\varphi dz^2\) is an invariant.

the Teichmüller mapping in the class of all quasiconformal homeomorphisms \(f: U \to U'\) satisfying the conditions
\(f(e^{i\pi l/2^{n-1}})=\omega(e^{i\pi l/2^{n-1}})\), \(n=1,2,\ldots;\ l=0,1,\ldots,2^n-1\). We shall denote the characteristic of the mapping \(f_n(z)\) by \(\mu_n(z)\) and put \(|\mu_n(z)|=k_n\). Then \(k_{n+1}\ge k_n\). Mappings that are limits of subsequences of \(\{f_n\}\) (with respect to uniform convergence in the disk \(|z|\le 1\)) will be called limit mappings for the sequence \(\{f_n\}\).

Every limit mapping \(w=f_0(z)\) has maximal dilatation \(K[f_0]=K_0[\omega]\), and, consequently,

\[ \lim_{n\to\infty} k_n=k_0. \tag{2} \]

Lemma. Whatever the sequence of positive numbers \(\{k_n\}\) satisfying the conditions \(k_{n+1}\ge k_n\) and \(\lim_{n\to\infty}k_n=k_0<1\), there exists a homeomorphism \(\omega\in\Omega\) for which \(|\mu_n(z)|=k_n\), \(n=1,2,\ldots\), and \(K_0[\omega]=(1+k_0)/(1-k_0)\).

Proof. Assuming, without loss of generality, that \(k_1=0\) and \(f_1(z)=z\), choose a point \(\tau\), \(|\tau|=1\), so that the conformal quadrilateral with vertices at the points \(1,i,-1,\tau\), formed by the circle \(|w|=1\), has modulus equal to \((1+k_2)/(1-k_2)\). As \(f_2(z)\) we take the mapping, extremal in the sense of Teichmüller, in the class of homeomorphisms \(f: U\to U'\) satisfying the conditions \(f(e^{i\pi l/2})=e^{i\pi l/2}\), \(l=0,1,2\); \(f(-i)=\tau\). Assuming that the mapping \(f_n(z)\) has already been constructed, we construct \(f_{n+1}(z)\) as follows. If \(f_{n+1}^*(z)\) is the extremal mapping in the class of homeomorphisms \(f: U\to U'\) for which \(f(e^{i\pi l/2^n})=f_n(e^{i\pi l/2^n})\), \(l=0,1,\ldots,2^n-2\), \(f(e^{i\pi(2^n-1)/2^n})=\tau_n\), where \(\tau_n\) varies continuously on the circle \(|w|=1\) from the point \(w=f_n(e^{i\pi(2^n-1)/2^n})\) to \(w=1\), then \(K[f_{n+1}^*]\) increases continuously from \(K[f_n]\) to \(\infty\). Therefore there exists such a \(\tau_n=\tau_n'\) that
\(K[f_{n+1}^*]=(1+k_{n+1})/(1-k_{n+1})\), and we put \(f_{n+1}(z)=f_{n+1}^*(z)\) for \(\tau_n=\tau_n'\). In this case the induced homeomorphisms \(\omega_n(t)=f_n|_s\) converge uniformly to some homeomorphism \(\omega\in\Omega\), and \(K_0[\omega]=(1+k_0)/(1-k_0)\). The lemma is proved.

3. Theorem. Let \(\omega\in\Omega\) and \(k_0-k_n=O(2^{-n(1+\alpha)})\), \(\alpha>0\). If there exists a limit mapping \(f_0(z)\) for the sequence \(\{f_n\}\) with characteristic \(\mu_0(z)\), for which \(|\mu_0(z)|=k_0\) almost everywhere in \(U\), then

\[ \sup_{\varphi\in A(U),\,\|\varphi\|_{A(U)}=1} \left|\iint_U \mu_0(z)\varphi(z)\,dx\,dy\right|=k_0. \tag{3} \]

The proof of this theorem is based on the method developed in \((^6)\), and proceeds according to the following scheme.

Suppose there exists a limit mapping \(w=f_0(z)\) for the sequence \(\{f_n\}\) with characteristic \(\mu_0(z)\), for which \(|\mu_0(z)|=k_0\) almost everywhere in \(U\), and let \(\{f_{n_i}(z)\}\subset\{f_n(z)\}\) be a subsequence of mappings (which, for convenience, we again denote by \(\{f_n\}\)) converging to \(f_0(z)\) uniformly in the disk \(|z|\le 1\), with \(f_0(z)\ne f_n(z)\), \(n=1,2,\ldots\).

In the space \(L_1(U)\) of functions \(\varphi(z)\) measurable in \(U\), with norm
\(\|\varphi\|_{L_1(U)}=\iint_U|\varphi(z)|\,dx\,dy\), consider the functional
\(\mu_0(\varphi)=\iint_U\mu_0(z)\varphi(z)\,dx\,dy\). Let

\[ \sup_{\varphi\in A(U),\,\|\varphi\|_{A(U)}=1} \left|\iint_U \mu_0(z)\varphi(z)\,dx\,dy\right|=k'. \tag{3'} \]

We shall show that \(k'=k_0\). Suppose that \(k'<k_0\). Then, by the Hahn–Banach theorem, in \(L_1(U)\) there is a linear functional \(m_0(\varphi)\) such that \(m_0(\varphi)=\mu_0(\varphi)\) for \(\varphi\in A(U)\) and \(\|m_0\|_{L_1(U)}=k'\). In this case

\[ m_0(\varphi)=\iint_U m_0(z)\varphi(z)\,dx\,dy, \tag{4} \]

where \(m_0(z)\) is a measurable function in the disk \(U\) and \(\operatorname*{vrai\,max}_{z\in U}|m_0(z)|=k'\). Then for the difference \(v(z)=\mu_0(z)-m_0(z)\) we shall have

\[ \iint_U v(z)\varphi(z)\,dx\,dy=0,\qquad \varphi\in A(U). \tag{5} \]

The function \(v(z)\) determines the corresponding variation of the disk, i.e. the mapping \(\zeta=H(z,\varepsilon)\) of the disk \(U\) onto itself with characteristic \(\varepsilon v(z)\) and normalization \(H(1,\varepsilon)=1,\ H(i,\varepsilon)=i,\ H(-1,\varepsilon)=-1\), representable by the formula

\[ \zeta=H(z,\varepsilon)=z-\frac{\varepsilon}{\pi}\iint_U \left[\frac{v(\xi)}{\xi-z}+\frac{z^3\overline{v(\xi)}}{1-z\bar\xi}\right]\,d\sigma(\xi)+M(z)+O(\varepsilon^2), \quad |z|\leq 1, \tag{6} \]

where \(\varepsilon\) is a small real parameter, \(M(z)\) is a polynomial of the form \(M(z)=a+2ibz-\bar a z^2\), whose coefficients are uniquely determined from the normalization conditions (see (9)).

Denoting the characteristic of the mapping \(w=f_0\circ H^{-1}(\zeta)\) by \(\mu^*(\zeta)\), we obtain:

\[ \tilde\mu(z)\equiv \mu^*(\zeta(z))\,\overline{\zeta_z}/\zeta_z =\mu_0(z)-\varepsilon v(z)+\varepsilon\overline{v(z)}\mu_0^2(z)+O(\varepsilon^2). \tag{7} \]

By applying equalities (4) and (7) it is established that, for sufficiently small \(\varepsilon>0\), the inequality

\[ \sup_{\|\varphi\|_{L_1(U)}=1} \left|\iint_U \tilde\mu(z)\varphi(z)\,dx\,dy\right| <k_0-O(\varepsilon) \tag{8} \]

holds, where the quantity \(O(\varepsilon)\) depends only on \(\varepsilon\), \(k_0\), and \(k'\), i.e.

\[ k^*=\operatorname*{vrai\,max}_{\zeta\in U}|\mu^*(\zeta)|<k_0-O(\varepsilon). \tag{9} \]

On the other hand, by virtue of (6),

\[ \zeta_{l,n}\equiv H\left(e^{i\pi l/2^{\,n-1}},\varepsilon\right) =e^{i\pi l/2^{\,n-1}}+O(\varepsilon^2), \qquad n=1,2,\ldots;\ l=0,1,\ldots,2^n-1, \]

and, consequently, denoting by \(\tilde\mu_n(\zeta)\) the characteristic of the Teichmüller extremal mapping \(\tilde f_n(\zeta)\) in the class of homeomorphisms \(f:U\to U'\) satisfying the conditions
\(f(\zeta_{l,n})=\omega\circ H^{-1}(\zeta_{l,n})\), \(l=0,1,\ldots,2^n-1\), for fixed \(n\), we shall have

\[ |\tilde k_n-k_n|<O(2^n\varepsilon^2), \qquad \text{where } \tilde k_n=|\tilde\mu_n(\zeta)|. \tag{10} \]

In particular, if we take a sufficiently large \(n=n_0\) and \(\varepsilon=2^{-n(1+\alpha/4)}\), then from (9) and (10) we obtain the inequality \(k^*<|\mu_{n_0}(\zeta)|\), which is impossible. The contradiction obtained proves that \(k'=k_0\), i.e. (3) is satisfied.

If the conditions are satisfied that ensure the existence of an element \(\varphi_0\in A(U)\), \(\|\varphi_0\|_{A(U)}=1\), for which \(\sup|\mu_0(\varphi)|\) is attained on the sphere \(\|\varphi\|_{A(U)}=1\) (which certainly occurs in the case when only a finite number of points are fixed on the circles \(S\) and \(S'\)), then from (3) it follows that \(\mu_0(z)=k_0\varphi_0(z)/|\varphi_0(z)|\), i.e. the mapping \(f_0(z)\) is Teichmüller and, consequently, the unique extremal one in the class \(Q(\omega)\).

Institute of Mathematics
Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR

Received
20 IX 1966

REFERENCES

  1. M. A. Lavrent’ev, Variational method in boundary-value problems for systems of elliptic-type equations, Moscow, 1962.
  2. A. Beurling, L. V. Ahlfors, Acta math., 96, 125 (1956).
  3. O. Teichmüller, Abh. Preuss. Akad. Wiss., Math.-Naturwiss. Kl., 22, 1 (1939).
  4. L. Ahlfors, in: L. Ahlfors and L. Bers, Riemann surface structure and quasiconformal mappings, IL, 1961, p. 104.
  5. L. Bers, ibid., p. 9.
  6. S. L. Krushkal’, DAN, 171, No. 4 (1966).
  7. K. Strebel, Comm. Math. Helv., 36, No. 4, 306 (1962).
  8. K. Strebel, Comm. Math. Helv., 39, No. 2—3, §1 (1964).
  9. L. V. Ahlfors, Ann. Math., 74, No. 1, 171 (1961).

Submission history

UDC 517.54