SharpL ∞-error estimates for semilinear elliptic problems with free boundaries

Summary A numerical scheme to approximate a semilinear PDE involving a (singular) maximal monotone graph is analyzed inL . A preliminary regularization is combined with piecewise linear finite elements defined on a triangulation which is not assumed to be acute; the discrete maximum principle is thus avoided. Sharp pointwise error estimates are derived for both the smoothing and the discretization procedures. An optimal choice of the regularization parameter as a function of the mesh size leads to a sharp global rate of convergence. These error estimates for solutions, in conjunction with nondegeneracy properties of continuous problems, provide sharp interface error estimates. Two model examples are discussed: the obstacle problem and a combustion equation.This work was partially supported by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche of Italy while the author was in residence at the Istituto di Analisi Numerica del C.N.R. di Pavia     

Inviscid limit for Navier–Stokes equations in domains with permeable boundaries

This work is concerned with 2D-Navier Stokes equations in a multiply-connected bounded domain with permeable walls. The permeability is described by a Navier type condition. Our aim is to show that the inviscid limit is a solution of the Euler equations, satisfying the Navier type condition on the inflow zone of the walls.     

Dynamics for a diffusive prey–predator model with different free boundaries

To understand the spreading and interaction of prey and predator, in this paper we study the dynamics of the diffusive Lotka–Volterra type prey–predator model with different free boundaries. These two free boundaries, which may intersect each other as time evolves, are used to describe the spreading of prey and predator. We investigate the existence and uniqueness, regularity and uniform estimates, and long time behaviors of global solution. Some sufficient conditions for spreading and vanishing are established. When spreading occurs, we provide the more accurate limits of $(u,v)$ as $t\to \infty$, and give some estimates of asymptotic spreading speeds of $u,v$ and asymptotic speeds of $g,h$. Some realistic and significant spreading phenomena are found.     

Time-discretized steady compressible Navier–Stokes equations with inflow and outflow boundaries

The time-discretized steady compressible Navier–Stokes equations in n-dimensional bounded domains with the velocity specified only at the inflow boundary are considered. The existence and uniqueness of L ^p solutions are proved for p > n. For time-discretized steady flows, results of Kweon and Kellogg and of Kweon and Song are extended in a manner that allows for more general domains and for density-dependent viscosity coefficients. Moreover, we only require p > n which is a critical barrier in the previous works.     

On the Morse index of minimal surfaces in ℝp with polygonal boundaries

The minimal surfaces spanning a polygon in ^p (p2) correspond to the critical points of an analytic function in finitely many variables, namely Shiffman's function. We shall prove that the Morse index of the minimal surface coincides with the Morse index of at the corresponding critical point. Alternatively expressed, the Schwarz operator of the minimal surface and the Hessian of have the same number of negative eigenvalues. Finally we control the degeneration of the critical points.     

Categories of chaos and fractal basin boundaries in forced predator–prey models

Biological communities are affected by perturbations that frequently occur in a more-or-less periodic fashion. In this communication we use the circle map to summarize the dynamics of one such community – the periodically forced Lotka–Volterra predator–prey system. As might be expected, we show that the latter system generates a classic devil's staircase and Arnold tongues, similar to that found from a qualitative analysis of the circle map. The circle map has other subtle features that make it useful for explaining the two qualitatively distinct forms of chaos recently noted in numerical studies of the forced Lotka–Volterra system. In the regions of overlapping tongues, coexisting attractors may be found in the Lotka–Volterra system, including at least one example of three alternative attractors, the separatrices of which are fractal and, in one specific case, Wada. The analysis is extended to a periodically forced tritrophic foodweb model that is chaotic. Interestingly, mode-locking Arnold tongue structures are observed in the model’s phase dynamics even though the foodweb equations are chaotic.     

Analysis of stability boundaries of satellite’s equilibrium attitude in a circular orbit

An asymmetric satellite equipped with control momentum gyroscopes (CMGs) with the center of mass of the system moving uniformly in a circular orbit was considered. The stability of a relative equilibrium attitude of the satellite was analyzed using Lyapunov’s direct method. The Lyapunov function V is a positive definite integral of the total energy of the perturbed motion of the system. The asymptotic stability analysis of the stationary motion of the conservative system was based on the Barbashin–Krasovskii theorem on the nonexistence of integer trajectories of the set \(\dot V\), which was obtained using the differential equations of motion of the satellite with CMGs. By analyzing the sign definiteness of the quadratic part of V, it was found earlier by V.V. Sazonov that the stability region is described by four strict inequalities. The asymptotic stability at the stability boundary was analyzed by sequentially turning these inequalities into equalities with terms of orders higher than the second taken into account in V. The sign definiteness analysis of the inhomogeneous function V at the stability boundary involved a huge amount of computations related to the multiplication, expansion, substitution, and factorization of symbolic expressions. The computations were performed by applying a computer algebra system on a personal computer.     

Small Alfvén number limit for incompressible magneto-hydrodynamics in a domain with boundaries

For any fixed Alfvén number, the local well-posedness is proved for the equations of threedimensional ideal incompressible magneto-hydrodynamics in a domain with boundaries. Under appropriate conditions, a smooth solution is shown to exist in a time interval independent of the Alfvén number, and the solutions of the original system tend to the solutions of a two-dimensional Euler flow coupled with a linear transport equation as the Alfvén number goes to zero.     

Light-likeness of boundaries of extremal surfaces of mixed type in physical space–times

In this paper, we prove the light-likeness of boundaries of smooth extremal surfaces of mixed type in general physical space–time R¹⁺ⁿ$R^{1+n}$(n>1)$(n>1)$, in particular we improve Gu's theorem on the light-likeness of boundaries of extremal surfaces in R¹⁺²$R^{1+2}$ and prove the light-likeness of boundaries of smooth extremal surfaces of mixed type in general physical space–times. As a consequence, we show that a curve moving in a physical space–time keeps its like-property and the boundary only exists when its world sheet at the initial time has light-like points. This implies that any extremal surface of mixed type is generated by an “initial curve of mixed type”.     

Passage times of random walks and Lévy processes across power law boundaries

We establish an integral test involving only the distribution of the increments of a random walk S which determines whether limsup _n→∞(S_n/n^κ) is almost surely zero, finite or infinite when 1/2<κ<1 and a typical step in the random walk has zero mean. This completes the results of Kesten and Maller [9] concerning finiteness of one-sided passage times over power law boundaries, so that we now have quite explicit criteria for all values of κ≥0. The results, and those of [9], are also extended to Lévy processes.This work is partially supported by ARC Grant DP0210572.     

Global existence and blow-up of solutions to a parabolic system with nonlocal sources and boundaries

This paper deals with a semi-linear parabolic system with nonlinear nonlocal sources and nonlocal boundaries.By using super-and sub-solution techniques,we first give the sufficient conditions that the classical solution exists globally and blows up in a finite time respectively,and then give the necessary and sufficient conditions that two components u and v blow up simultaneously.Finally,the uniform blow-up profiles in the interior are presented.     

Sharp Lp estimates for the ∂bequation on the boundaries of real ellipsoids in Cn

In this paper we prove the best possible L^p estimates for the ?-_b -equation on the boundaries of real ellipsoids in Cⁿ, and provide examples to show why they cannot be improved.     

Möbius rigidity of invariant metrics in boundaries of symmetric spaces of rank-1

Let \({\mathbf{H}}^n_{{\mathbb K}}\) denote the symmetric space of rank-1 and of non-compact type and let \(d_{{\mathfrak H}}\) be the Korányi metric defined on its boundary. We prove that if d is a metric on \(\partial {\mathbf{H}}^n_{{\mathbb K}}\) such that all Heisenberg similarities are d-Möbius maps, then under a topological condition d is a constant multiple of a power of \(d_{{\mathfrak H}}\).     

Effect of nonlinear dissipation on the basin boundaries of a driven two-well Rayleigh–Duffing oscillator

The Rayleigh oscillator is one canonical example of self-excited systems. However, simple generalizations of such systems, such as the Rayleigh–Duffing oscillator, have not received much attention. The presence of a cubic term makes the Rayleigh–Duffing oscillator a more complex and interesting case to analyze. In this work, we use analytical techniques such as the Melnikov theory, to obtain the threshold condition for the occurrence of Smale-horseshoe type chaos in the Rayleigh–Duffing oscillator. Moreover, we examine carefully the phase space of initial conditions in order to analyze the effect of the nonlinear damping, and in particular how the basin boundaries become fractalized.     

The incompressible limit of the full Navier–Stokes–Fourier system on domains with rough boundaries

We study the incompressible limit of the full Navier–Stokes–Fourier system on condition that the boundary of the spatial domain oscillates with the amplitude and wave length proportional to the Mach number. Assuming the fluid satisfies the complete slip boundary conditions on the oscillating boundary, we identify the asymptotic limit, and, in particular, establish strong (pointwise) convergence of the velocities towards a solenoidal vector field.     

Voronoi diagram and medial axis algorithm for planar domains with curved boundaries — II: Detailed algorithm description

Details of algorithms to construct the Voronoi diagrams and medial axes of planars domain bounded by free-form (polynomial or rational) curve segments are presented, based on theoretical foundations given in the first installment Ramamurthy and Farouki, J. Comput. Appl. Math. (1999) 102 119–141 of this two-part paper. In particular, we focus on key topological and computational issues that arise in these constructions. The topological issues include: (i) the data structures needed to represent various geometrical entities — bisectors, Voronoi regions, etc., and (ii) the Boolean operations (i.e., union, intersection, and difference) on planar sets required by the algorithm. Specifically, representations for the Voronoi polygons of boundary segments, and for individual Voronoi diagram or medial axis edges, are proposed. Since these edges may be segments of (a) nonrational algebraic curves (curve/curve bisectors); (b) rational curves (point/curve bisectors); or (c) straight lines (point/point bisectors), data structures tailored to each of these geometrical entities are introduced. The computational issues addressed include the curve intersection algorithms required in the Boolean operations, and iterative schemes used to precisely locate bifurcation or “n-prong” points (n ⩾ 3) of the Voronoi diagram and medial axis. A selection of computed Voronoi diagram and medial axis examples is included to illustrate the capabilities of the algorithm.