Liouville Rigidity and Universal Spacelikeness Estimates for a Lorentzian Prescribed Mean Curvature Equation
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: We prove a Liouville theorem for nonnegative entire strictly spacelike solutions of \[ \operatorname{div}\left(\frac{\nabla u}{\sqrt{1-|\nabla u|^2}}\right)+u^p=0 \qquad\text{in }\mathbb R^n. \] If $n=2$ and $p\geqslant1$, or if $n\geqslant3$ and $1\leqslant p\leqslant\frac{n+2}{n-2}$, every nonnegative $C^2$ solution satisfying $|\nabla u|<1$ vanishes identically. This resolves, in the classical strictly spacelike setting, the nonexistence conjecture of Byeon, Ikoma, Malchiodi, and Mari, including the critical endpoint. No symmetry, decay, integrability, or uniform spacelike gap is assumed. A key ingredient is a universal bound, valid for every $n\geqslant2$ and $p\geqslant1$, for both the height $u$ and the Lorentz factor $(1-|\nabla u|^2)^{-1/2}$. Then a weighted trace-free tensor identity from the invariant-tensor approach, combined with a common cutoff estimate, a core-counting argument and Souplet-type feedback inequality, yields a unified proof in the subcritical and critical ranges. The upper endpoint is sharp for $n\geqslant3$, as supercritical radial solutions exist. The theorem also gives half-space rigidity for complete spacelike hypersurfaces, including at the critical exponent.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Ma, Xi-Nan, Wu, Tian, Wu, Wangzhe, Yu, Bao
Language: English
Subfield: Applied Mathematics
Field: Mathematics
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7202128493