Symmetry for a fully nonlinear free boundary problem with highly singular term

Abstract: In this paper we prove radial symmetry for solutions to a free boundary problem with a singular right hand side, in both elliptic and parabolic regime. More exactly, in the unit ball $B_1$ we consider a solution to the fully nonlinear elliptic problem $$ \begin{cases} F(D^2u)=f(u)&\text{in }B_1 \cap {u >0 },\ u=M&\text{on }\partial B_1,\ 0\le u<M&\text{in }B_1,\end{cases}$$ where the right hand side $f(u) $, near $u=0$, behaves like $u^a$ with negative values for $a \in (-1,0)$. Due to lack of $C^2$-smoothness of both $u$ and the free boundary $\partial\{u\>0}$, we cannot apply the well-known Serrin-type boundary point lemma. We circumvent this by an exact assumption on a first order expansion and the decay on the second order, along with an ad-hoc comparison principle. We treat equally the parabolic case of the problem, and state a corresponding result.