On the origin of the Gibbons conjecture

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Isneri, Renan J. S.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Isneri, Renan J. S.
author_facet Isneri, Renan J. S.
contents The term Gibbons conjecture is widely used in connection with symmetry results for the Allen-Cahn equation. However, its origin is less transparent than its frequent citation suggests. In this note, we revisit its emergence, tracing it to a 1995 paper by Carbou and to subsequent developments in the literature. We argue that the attribution likely arose from informal communication rather than from a formally stated conjecture, illustrating how mathematical terminology may develop through transmission and collective usage.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_29848
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle On the origin of the Gibbons conjecture
Isneri, Renan J. S.
History and Overview
Analysis of PDEs
01A60, 01A65, 35B06
The term Gibbons conjecture is widely used in connection with symmetry results for the Allen-Cahn equation. However, its origin is less transparent than its frequent citation suggests. In this note, we revisit its emergence, tracing it to a 1995 paper by Carbou and to subsequent developments in the literature. We argue that the attribution likely arose from informal communication rather than from a formally stated conjecture, illustrating how mathematical terminology may develop through transmission and collective usage.
title On the origin of the Gibbons conjecture
topic History and Overview
Analysis of PDEs
01A60, 01A65, 35B06
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.29848