Symmetry and asymmetry of minimizers of a class of noncoercive functionals

Abstract

In this paper we prove symmetry results for minimizers of a non coercive functional defined on the class of Sobolev functions with zero mean value. We prove that the minimizers are foliated Schwarz symmetric, i.e. they are axially symmetric with respect to an axis passing through the origin and nonincreasing in the polar angle from this axis. In the two dimensional case we show a symmetry breaking.