On the strict monotonicity of the first eigenvalue of the $p$-Laplacian on annuli

Abstract

Let $B_1$ be a ball in $\mathbb{R}^N$ centred at the origin and $B_0$ be a smaller ball compactly contained in $B_1$. For $p\in(1, \infty)$, using the shape derivative method, we show that the first eigenvalue of the $p$-Laplacian in annulus $B_1\setminus \overline{B_0}$ strictly decreases as the inner ball moves towards the boundary of the outer ball. The analogous results for the limit cases as $p \to 1$ and $p \to \infty$ are also discussed. Using our main result, further we prove the nonradiality of the eigenfunctions associated with the points on the first nontrivial curve of the Fu\v{c}ik spectrum of the $p$-Laplacian on bounded radial domains.