Abstract The $$p$$ p -widths of a closed Riemannian manifold are a nonlinear analogue of the spectrum of its Laplace–Beltrami operator, which corresponds to areas of a certain min-max sequence of possibly singular minimal submanifolds. We show that the $$p$$ p -widths of any closed Riemannian two-manifold correspond to a union of closed immersed geodesics, rather than simply geodesic nets. We then prove optimality of the sweepouts of the round two-sphere constructed from the zero set of homogeneous polynomials, showing that the $$p$$ p -widths of the round sphere are attained by $$\lfloor \sqrt{p}\rfloor $$ ⌊ p ⌋ great circles. As a result, we find the universal constant in the Liokumovich–Marques–Neves–Weyl law for surfaces to be $$\sqrt{\pi }$$ π . En route to calculating the $$p$$ p -widths of the round two-sphere, we prove two additional new results: a bumpy metrics theorem for stationary geodesic nets with fixed edge lengths, and that, generically, stationary geodesic nets with bounded mass and bounded singular set have Lusternik–Schnirelmann category zero.
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An experimental study to characterize a surface treated with a novel laser surface texturing technique: Water repellency and reduced ice adhesion
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AbstractMaterials science is about understanding the relationship between a material’s structure and its properties—in the sphere of mechanical behavior, this includes elastic modulus, yield strength, and other bulk properties. We show in this issue that, analogously, a material’s surface structure governs its surface properties—such as adhesion, friction, and surface stiffness. For bulk materials, microstructure is a critical component of structure; for surfaces, the structure is governed largely by surface topography. The articles in this issue cover the latest understanding of these structure–property connections for surfaces. This includes both the theoretical basis for how properties depend on topography, as well as the latest understanding of how surface topography emerges, how to measure and understand topography-dependent properties, and how to engineer surfaces to improve performance. The present article frames the importance of surface topography and its effect on properties; it also outlines some of the critical knowledge gaps that impede progress toward optimally performing surfaces. Graphical abstractmore » « less
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