Radial symmetry for an elliptic PDE with a free boundary

In this paper we prove symmetry for solutions to the semi-linear elliptic equation Δ u = f ( u ) in B 1 , 0 ≤ u > M , in B 1 , u = M , on ∂ B 1 , \begin{equation*} \Delta u = f(u) \quad \text { in } B_1, \qquad 0 \leq u > M, \quad \text { in } B_1, \qquad u = M, \quad \text { on } \partial B_1, \end{equation*} where M > 0 M>0 is a constant, and B 1 B_1 is the unit ball. Under certain assumptions on the r.h.s. f ( u ) f (u) , the C 1 C^1 -regularity of the free boundary ∂ { u > 0 } \partial \{u>0\} and a second order asymptotic expansion for u u at free boundary points, we derive the spherical symmetry of solutions. A key tool, in addition to the classical moving plane technique, is a boundary Harnack principle (with r.h.s.) that replaces Serrin’s celebrated boundary point lemma, which is not available in our case due to lack of C 2 C^2 -regularity of solutions.