Conformal metrics with prescribed boundary mean curvature on balls

We provide a variety of classes of functions that can be realized as the mean curvature on the boundary of the standard n dimensional ball, n ≥ 3, with respect to some scalar flat metric. Because of the presence of some critical nonlinearity, blow up phenomena occur and existence results are highly nontrivial since one has to overcome topological obstructions. Our approach consists of, on one hand, developing a Morse theoretical approach to this problem through a Morse-type reduction of the associated Euler–Lagrange functional in a neighborhood of its critical points at Infinity and, on the other hand, extending to this problem some topological invariants introduced by A. Bahri in his study of Yamabe type problems on closed manifolds.     

The Webster scalar curvature problem on the three dimensional CR manifolds

In this paper, we prove some existence results for the Webster scalar curvature problem on the three dimensional CR compact manifolds locally conformally CR equivalent to the unit sphere S³ of C². Our methods are based on the techniques related to the theory of critical points at infinity.     

Anti-self-dual Lagrangians: Variational resolutions of non-self-adjoint equations and dissipative evolutions

We develop the concept and the calculus of anti-self-dual (ASD) Lagrangians and their derived vector fields which seem inherent to many partial differential equations and evolutionary systems. They are natural extensions of gradients of convex functions – hence of self-adjoint positive operators – which usually drive dissipative systems, but also provide representations for the superposition of such gradients with skew-symmetric operators which normally generate unitary flows. They yield variational formulations and resolutions for large classes of non-potential boundary value problems and initial-value parabolic equations. Solutions are minima of newly devised energy functionals, however, and just like the self (and anti-self) dual equations of quantum field theory (e.g. Yang–Mills) the equations associated to such minima are not derived from the fact they are critical points of the functional I, but because they are also zeroes of suitably derived Lagrangians. The approach has many advantages: it solves variationally many equations and systems that cannot be obtained as Euler–Lagrange equations of action functionals, since they can involve non-self-adjoint or other non-potential operators; it also associates variational principles to variational inequalities, and to various dissipative initial-value first order parabolic problems. These equations can therefore be analyzed with the full range of methods – computational or not – that are available for variational settings. Most remarkable are the permanence properties that ASD Lagrangians possess making their calculus relatively manageable and their domain of applications quite broad.     

The Paneitz Curvature Problem on Lower-Dimensional Spheres

In this paper we prescribe a fourth order conformal invariant (the Paneitz curvature) on the n-spheres, with n∊{5,6}. Using dynamical and topological methods involving the study of critical points at infinity of the associated variational problem, we prove some existence results. Mathematics Subject Classifications (2000): 35J60, 53C21, 58J05, 35J30.     

Global energy conservative solutions to a system of variational wave equations

This paper is concerned with a system of variational wave equations which is the Euler–Lagrange equations of a variational principle arising in the theory of nematic liquid crystals and a few other physical contexts. The global existence of an energy-conservative weak solution to its Cauchy problem for initial data of finite energy is established by using the method of energy-dependent coordinates and the Young measure theory.     

Existence of conformal metrics with prescribed scalar curvature on the four dimensional half sphere

In this paper, we consider the problem of prescribing the scalar curvature under minimal boundary conditions on the four dimensional half sphere. Using dynamical and topological methods involving the study of the critical points at infinity of the associated variational structure, we prove some existence results like Bahri-Coron theorem. Furthermore, we consider the approximate subcritical problem and we construct some solutions which blow up at two different points, one of them lay on the boundary and the other one is an interior point.     

Bahri-Coron type theorem for the scalar curvature problem on high dimensional spheres

We consider the existence and multiplicity results for the prescribed scalar curvature problem on the standard spheres of high dimension n ?? 7. Given a C ² positive function K, using the theory of critical points at infinity, we prove an existence result as Bahri-Coron theorem. Our case is a generalization of Li (J Differ Equ 120:319?C410, 1995). Indeed, here the function K is flat near some critical points as in Li (J Differ Equ 120:319?C410, 1995) and it can have some nondegenerate critical points with ?? K ?? 0. Furthermore, using some topological arguments, we prove another kind of result.     

On geometric vector fields of Minkowski spaces and their applications

As it is well-known, a Minkowski space is a finite dimensional real vector space equipped with a Minkowski functional F. By the help of its second order partial derivatives we can introduce a Riemannian metric on the vector space and the indicatrix hypersurface S:=F⁻¹(1) can be investigated as a Riemannian submanifold in the usual sense.Our aim is to study affine vector fields on the vector space which are, at the same time, affine with respect to the Funk metric associated with the indicatrix hypersurface. We give an upper bound for the dimension of their (real) Lie algebra and it is proved that equality holds if and only if the Minkowski space is Euclidean. Criteria of the existence is also given in lower dimensional cases. Note that in case of a Euclidean vector space the Funk metric reduces to the standard Cayley-Klein metric perturbed with a nonzero 1-form.As an application of our results we present the general solution of Matsumoto's problem on conformal equivalent Berwald and locally Minkowski manifolds. The reasoning is based on the theory of harmonic vector fields on the tangent spaces as Riemannian manifolds or, in an equivalent way, as Minkowski spaces. Our main result states that the conformal equivalence between two Berwald manifolds must be trivial unless the manifolds are Riemannian.     

Eigenvalue problems for nonlinear elliptic equations with unilateral constraints

In this paper we study eigenvalue problems for hemivariational and variational inequalities driven by the p$p$-Laplacian differential operator. Using topological methods (based on multivalued versions of the Leray–Schauder alternative principle) and variational methods (based on the nonsmooth critical point theory), we prove existence and multiplicity results for the eigenvalue problems that we examine.     

Transversality condition for singular infinite horizon calculus of variations

We consider an optimal infinite horizon calculus of variations problem linear with respect to the velocities. In this framework the Euler–Lagrange equation are known to be algebraic and thus no informative for the general optimal solutions. We prove that the value of the objective along the MRAPs, the curves that connect as quickly as possible the solutions of the Euler–Lagrange equation, is Lipschitz continuous and satisfies a Hamilton–Jacobi equation in some generalised sense. We derive then a sufficient condition for a MRAP to be optimal by using a transversality condition at infinity that we generalize to our non regular context.     

Positive ground state solutions for the critical Klein–Gordon–Maxwell system with potentials

This paper deals with the Klein–Gordon–Maxwell system when the nonlinearity exhibits critical growth. We prove the existence of positive ground state solutions for this system when a periodic potential V$V$ is introduced. The method combines the minimization of the corresponding Euler–Lagrange functional on the Nehari manifold with the Brézis and Nirenberg technique.     

On a variational problem involving critical Sobolev growth in dimension three

In this paper we consider the following nonlinear problem: \({{-\Delta u=Ku^{5}}}\), u > 0 in \({{\Omega}}\), u =  0 on \({{\partial \Omega}}\), where K > 0 in \({{\Omega}}\), K =  0 on \({{\partial \Omega}}\) and \({{\Omega}}\) is a bounded domain of \({{\mathbb{R}^{3}}}\). We prove a version of a Morse lemma at infinity for this problem, which allows us to describe the critical points at infinity of the associated variational functional. Using a topological argument, we prove an existence result.     

Representation of the Variational Sequence by Differential Forms

In the paper the representation of the finite order variational sequence on fibered manifolds in field theory is studied. The representation problem is completely solved by a generalization of the integration by parts procedure using the concept of the Lie derivative of forms with respect to vector fields along canonical maps of prolongations of fibered manifolds. A close relationship between the obtained coordinate invariant representation of the variational sequence and some familiar objects of physics, such as Lagrangians, dynamical forms, Euler–Lagrange mapping and Helmholtz–Sonin mapping is pointed out and illustrated by examples.Mathematics Subject Classifications (2000) 58E99, 49F99.Jana Musilová: Research of both authors supported by grants MSM 0021622409 and 201/03/0512.     

Constant Q-curvature metrics in arbitrary dimension

Working in a given conformal class, we prove existence of constant Q-curvature metrics on compact manifolds of arbitrary dimension under generic assumptions. The problem is equivalent to solving a nth-order non-linear elliptic differential (or integral) equation with variational structure, where n is the dimension of the manifold. Since the corresponding Euler functional is in general unbounded from above and below, we use critical point theory, jointly with a compactness result for the above equation.     

Critical points of the integral map of the charged three-body problem

This is the first in a series of three papers where we study the integral manifolds of the charged three-body problem. The integral manifolds are the fibers of the map of integrals. Their topological type may change at critical values of the map of integrals. Due to the non-compactness of the integral manifolds one has to take into account besides ‘ordinary’ critical points also critical points at infinity. In the present paper we concentrate on ‘ordinary’ critical points and in particular elucidate their connection to central configurations. In a second paper we will study critical points at infinity. The implications for the Hill regions, i.e. the projections of the integral manifolds to configuration space, are the subject of a third paper.     

New geometric aspects of Moser–Trudinger inequalities on Riemannian manifolds: the non-compact case

In the first part of the paper we investigate some geometric features of Moser–Trudinger inequalities on complete non-compact Riemannian manifolds. By exploring rearrangement arguments, isoperimetric estimates, and gluing local uniform estimates via Gromov's covering lemma, we provide a Coulhon, Saloff-Coste and Varopoulos type characterization concerning the validity of Moser–Trudinger inequalities on complete non-compact n-dimensional Riemannian manifolds $(n\ge 2)$ with Ricci curvature bounded from below. Some sharp consequences are also presented both for non-negatively and non-positively curved Riemannian manifolds, respectively. In the second part, by combining variational arguments and a Lions type symmetrization-compactness principle, we guarantee the existence of a non-zero isometry-invariant solution for an elliptic problem involving the n-Laplace–Beltrami operator and a critical nonlinearity on n-dimensional homogeneous Hadamard manifolds. Our results complement in several directions those of Y. Yang [J. Funct. Anal., 2012].     

Multiple positive solutions of superlinear elliptic problems with sign-changing weight

We study the existence of multiple positive solutions for a superlinear elliptic PDE with a sign-changing weight. Our approach is variational and relies on classical critical point theory on smooth manifolds. A special care is paid to the localization of minimax critical points.     

Necessary condition for eigensolutions of the 1-Laplace operator by means of inner variations

Eigenfunctions of the $p$ -Laplace operator for $p>1$ are defined to be critical points of an associated variational problem or, equivalently, to be solutions of the corresponding Euler–Lagrange equation. In the highly degenerated limit case of the 1-Laplace operator eigenfunctions can also be defined to be critical points of the corresponding variational problem if critical points are understood on the basis of the weak slope. However, the associated Euler–Lagrange equation has many solutions that are not critical points and, thus, it cannot be used for an equivalent definition. The present paper provides a new necessary condition for eigenfunctions of the 1-Laplace operator by means of inner variations of the associated variational problem and it is shown that this condition rules out certain solutions of the Euler–Lagrange equation that are not eigenfunctions.     

On the convergence of finite state mean-field games through Γ-convergence

In this study, we consider the long-term convergence (trend toward an equilibrium) of finite state mean-field games using Γ-convergence. Our techniques are based on the observation that an important class of mean-field games can be viewed as the Euler–Lagrange equation of a suitable functional. Therefore, using a scaling argument, one can convert a long-term convergence problem into a Γ-convergence problem. Our results generalize previous results related to long-term convergence for finite state problems.     

Some researches on multivariate Lagrange interpolation along the sufficiently intersected algebraic manifold

In this article, Lagrange interpolation by polynomials in several variables is studied. Particularly on the sufficiently intersected algebraic manifolds, we discuss the dimension about the interpolation space of polynomials. After defining properly posed set of nodes (or PPSN for short) along the sufficiently intersected algebraic manifolds, we prove the existence of PPSN and give the number of points in PPSN of any degree. Moreover, in order to compute the number of points in PPSN concretely, we propose the operator ? _k with reciprocal difference.