Approximation of point interactions by geometric perturbations in two-dimensional domains

Abstract: We present a new type of approximation of a second-order elliptic operator in a planar domain with a point interaction. It is of a geometric nature, the approximating family consists of operators with the same symbol and regular coefficients on the domain with a small hole. At the boundary of it Robin condition is imposed with the coefficient which depends on the linear size of a hole. We show that as the hole shrinks to a point and the parameter in the boundary condition is scaled in a suitable way, nonlinear and singular, the indicated family converges in the norm-resolvent sense to the operator with the point interaction. This resolvent convergence is established with respect to several operator norms and order-sharp estimates of the convergence rates are provided.