The chapter discusses the equivariant loop theorem for three-dimensional manifolds that is needed in settling the Smith conjecture and reviews the existence theorems for minimal surfaces. The equivariant version of the loop theorem says that there are a finite number of properly embedded disks in <i>M</i> that satisfy the required properties. The loop theorem respects the action of the group <i>G</i> in a suitable manner. The chapter puts a metric on <i>M</i> so that the group <i>G</i> acts isometrically and so that <i>M</i> is convex with respect to the outward normal. Then with respect to this metric, the existence of an immersed disk <i>D</i>₁ is demonstrated, in <i>M</i> whose boundary <i> D₁</i>, represents a nontrivial element in ₁(<i>S</i>) and whose area is minimal among all such disks. The chapter describes Morrey's solution for the plateau problem in a general Riemannian manifold. The existence theorem for manifolds with boundary

We study spectral and scattering properties of a spinless quantum particle confined to an infinite planar layer with hard walls containing a finite number of point perturbations. A solvable character of the model follows from the explicit form of the Hamiltonian resolvent obtained by means of Kreins formula. We prove the existence of bound states, demonstrate their properties, and find the on-shell scattering operator. Furthermore, we analyze the situation when the system is put into a homogeneous magnetic field perpendicular to the layer; in that case the point interactions generate eigenvalues of a finite multiplicity in the gaps of the free Hamiltonian essential spectrum.

To describe quantum oscillations on metallic rings and similar effects, some authors introduced recently an ideal device which splits the electron wavefunction at the junction of three wires. A proper quantum-mechanical treatment requires, however, that the splitting procedure is described by a hamiltonian. In this Letter we show how this can be achieved in the framework of the self-adjoint-extension theory.

We analyze bound states of Robin Laplacian in infinite planar domains with a smooth boundary, in particular, their relations to the geometry of the latter. The domains considered have locally straight boundary being, for instance, locally deformed halfplanes or wedges, or infinite strips, alternatively they are the exterior of a bounded obstacle. In the situation when the Robin condition is strongly attractive, we derive a two-term asymptotic formula in which the next-to-leading term is determined by the extremum of the boundary curvature. We also discuss the non-asymptotic case of attractive boundary interaction and show that the discrete spectrum is nonempty if the domain is a local deformation of a halfplane or a wedge of angle less than , and it is void if the domain is concave.

We study approximations of billiard systems by lattice graphs. It is demonstrated that under natural assumptions the graph wavefunctions approximate solutions of the Schroedinger equation with energy rescaled by the billiard dimension. As an example, we analyze a Sinai billiard with attached leads. The results illustrate emergence of global structures in large quantum graphs and offer interesting comparisons with patterns observed in complex networks of a different nature.