The standard lens cluster in R^2 uniquely minimizes relative perimeter
Abstract
In this article we consider the isoperimetric problem for partitioning the
plane into three disjoint domains, one having unit area and the remaining two
having infinite area. We show that the only solution, up to rigid motions of
the plane, is a lens cluster consisting of circular arcs containing the finite
area region, attached to a single axis, with two triple junctions where the
arcs meet at 120 degree angles. In particular, we show that such a
configuration is a local minimizer of the total perimeter functional, and on
the other hand any local minimizer of perimeter among clusters with the given
area constraints must coincide with a lens cluster having this geometry. Some
known results and conjectures on similar problems with both finite and infinite
area constraints are presented at the conclusion.