Gehring–Martin–Palka conjecture on the conformal capacity of linked curves

Let C_0,C_1\binom{\mathbb S^3} be linked curves, and let H0,H1H_0,H_1 be the components of the standard Hopf link. The relative conformal capacity is

Cap3(C0,C1)=infuS3du3dVol,\operatorname{Cap}_3(C_0,C_1)=\inf_u\int_{\mathbb S^3}|\mathrm{d}u|^3\,\operatorname{dVol},

where the infimum is over absolutely continuous functions u ⁣:S3[0,1]u\colon\mathbb S^3\to[0,1] with u=0u=0 on C0C_0 and u=1u=1 on C1C_1.

Gehring–Martin–Palka conjecture. Every pair of linked curves satisfies

Cap3(C0,C1)Cap3(H0,H1)=16π3Γ(1/4)4,\operatorname{Cap}_3(C_0,C_1)\geq\operatorname{Cap}_3(H_0,H_1)=\frac{16\pi^3}{\Gamma(1/4)^4},

where Γ(t)\Gamma(t) is the Gamma function.

The conjecture proposes that the standard Hopf link minimizes conformal capacity among linked curves. Its status is not resolved in the supplied source.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

André Guerra and Eden Prywes, “On the optimal conformal capacity of linked curves”, arXiv:2305.17015 (2023).

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