The Robin problem on rectangles

Abstract

We study the statistics and the arithmetic properties of the Robin spectrum of a rectangle. A number of results are obtained for the multiplicities in the spectrum depending on the Diophantine nature of the aspect ratio. In particular, it is shown that for the square, unlike the case of Neumann eigenvalues where there are unbounded multiplicities of arithmetic origin, there are no multiplicities in the Robin spectrum for a sufficiently small (but nonzero) Robin parameter except a systematic symmetry. In addition, uniform lower and upper bounds are established for the Robin–Neumann gaps in terms of their limiting mean spacing. Finally, the pair correlation function of the Robin spectrum on a Diophantine rectangle is shown to be Poissonian.