A minimal area problem in conformal mapping II

LetS denote the usual class of functionsf holomorphic and univalent in the unit diskU. For 0<r<1 andr(1+r)−2<b<r(1−r)−2, letS(r, b) be the subclass of functionsf∈S such that |f(r)|=b. In Theorem 1, we solve the problem of minimizing the Dirichlet integral inS(r, b). The first main ingredient of the solution is the establishment of sufficient regularity of the domains onto whichU is mapped by extremal functions, and here techniques of symmetrization and polarization play an essential role. The second main ingredient is the identification of all Jordan domains satisfying a certain kind of functional equation (called “quadrature identities”) which are encountered by applying variational techniques. These turn out to be conformal images ofU by mappings of a special form involving a logarithmic function. In Theorem 2, this aspect of our work is generalized to encompass analogous minimal area problem when a larger number of initial data are prescribed.