Berestycki–Caffarelli–Nirenberg conjecture on symmetry in the half-space

From papers

Let n1n\geq 1, let fC1([0,))f\in C^1([0,\infty)), and consider positive bounded classical solutions of

Δu=f(u)in R+n,u=0on R+n.-\Delta u=f(u)\quad\text{in }\mathbb{R}^n_+,\qquad u=0\quad\text{on }\partial\mathbb{R}^n_+.

Berestycki–Caffarelli–Nirenberg conjecture. (i) If there is a positive bounded solution uu of this problem, then uu depends only on xnx_n; consequently, uxn>0u_{x_n}>0 and f(supu)=0f(\sup u)=0. (ii) In particular, if f>0f>0 on (0,)(0,\infty), then the problem has no positive bounded solution. This is a symmetry and one-dimensionality conjecture for elliptic equations in a half-space. The supplied text attributes it to Berestycki, Caffarelli and Nirenberg, but gives no resolution status.

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Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Loth Damagui Chabi and Philippe Souplet, “Classification of entire and ancient solutions of the diffusive Hamilton-Jacobi equation”, arXiv:2507.12214 (2025).

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