It is an open problem in general to prove that there exists a sequence of $\Delta_g$-eigenfunctions $\phi_{ j_k}$ on a Riemannian manifold $(M, g)$ for which the number $N(\phi_{ j_k}) $ of nodal domains tends to infinity with the eigenvalue. Our main result is that $N(\phi_{ j_k}) \to \infty$ along a subsequence of eigenvalues of density $1$ if the $(M, g)$ is a non-positively curved surface with concave boundary, i.e. a generalized Sinai or Lorentz billiard. Unlike the recent closely related work of Ghosh-Reznikov-Sarnak and of the authors on the nodal domain counting problem, the surfaces need not have any symmetries.
Categories: math.SP math.AP