Compact Sobolev embeddings of radially symmetric functions

Abstract: We provide a complete characterization of compactness of Sobolev embeddings of radially symmetric functions on the entire space $\mathbb{R}^n$ in the general framework of rearrangement-invariant function spaces. We avoid any unnecessary restrictions and cover also embeddings of higher order, providing a complete picture within this framework. To achieve this, we need to develop new techniques because the usual techniques used in the study of compactness of Sobolev embeddings in the general framework of rearrangement-invariant function spaces are limited to domains of finite measure, which is essential for them to work. Furthermore, we also study certain weighted Sobolev embeddings of radially symmetric functions on balls. We completely characterize their compactness and also describe optimal target rearrangement-invariant function spaces in these weighted Sobolev embeddings.