Anti-selfdual Lagrangians II: unbounded non self-adjoint operators and evolution equations

New variational principles based on the concept of anti-selfdual (ASD) Lagrangians were recently introduced in “AIHP-Analyse non linéaire, 2006”. We continue here the program of using such Lagrangians to provide variational formulations and resolutions to various basic equations and evolutions which do not normally fit in the Euler-Lagrange framework. In particular, we consider stationary boundary value problems of the form as well ass dissipative initial value evolutions of the form where is a convex potential on an infinite dimensional space, A is a linear operator and is any scalar. The framework developed in the above mentioned paper reformulates these problems as and respectively, where is an “ASD” vector field derived from a suitable Lagrangian L. In this paper, we extend the domain of application of this approach by establishing existence and regularity results under much less restrictive boundedness conditions on the anti-selfdual Lagrangian L so as to cover equations involving unbounded operators. Our main applications deal with various nonlinear boundary value problems and parabolic initial value equations governed by transport operators with or without a diffusion term. Nassif Ghoussoub research was partially supported by a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The author gratefully acknowledges the hospitality and support of the Centre de Recherches Mathématiques in Montréal where this work was initiated. Leo Tzou’s research was partially supported by a doctoral postgraduate scholarship from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada.     

Pointwise gradient estimates in exterior domains

We consider a class of elliptic operators with unbounded coefficients in a smooth exterior domain Ω and we prove that the Cauchy-Neumann problem associated with admits, for any bounded and continuous initial datum, a unique bounded classical solution. We also provide pointwise gradient estimates for such a solution. Received: 5 July 2005; Revised: 20 December 2005     

On the 3D Cahn–Hilliard equation with inertial term

We study the modified Cahn–Hilliard equation proposed by Galenko et al. in order to account for rapid spinodal decomposition in certain glasses. This equation contains, as additional term, the second-order time derivative of the (relative) concentration multiplied by a (small) positive coefficient . Thus, in absence of viscosity effects, we are in presence of a Petrovsky type equation and the solutions do not regularize in finite time. Many results are known in one spatial dimension. However, even in two spatial dimensions, the problem of finding a unique solution satisfying given initial and boundary conditions is far from being trivial. A fairly complete analysis of the 2D case has been recently carried out by Grasselli, Schimperna and Zelik. The 3D case is still rather poorly understood but for the existence of energy bounded solutions. Taking advantage of this fact, Segatti has investigated the asymptotic behavior of a generalized dynamical system which can be associated with the equation. Here we take a step further by establishing the existence and uniqueness of a global weak solution, provided that is small enough. More precisely, we show that there exists such that well-posedness holds if (suitable) norms of the initial data are bounded by a positive function of which goes to + ∞ as tends to 0. This result allows us to construct a semigroup on an appropriate (bounded) phase space and, besides, to prove the existence of a global attractor. Finally, we show a regularity result for the attractor by using a decomposition method and we discuss the existence of an exponential attractor.      

Elliptic operators with unbounded diffusion coefficients in L 2 spaces with respect to invariant measures

We study the self-adjoint and dissipative realization A of a second order elliptic differential operator with unbounded regular coefficients in , where μ(dx) = ρ (x)dx is the associated invariant measure. We prove a maximal regularity result under suitable assumptions, that generalize the well known conditions in the case of constant diffusion part. Dedicated to Giuseppe Da Prato on the occasion of his 70th birthday     

The Green function estimates for strongly elliptic systems of second order

We establish existence and pointwise estimates of fundamental solutions and Green’s matrices for divergence form, second order strongly elliptic systems in a domain $\Omega \subseteq {\mathbb{R}}^n, n \geq 3We establish existence and pointwise estimates of fundamental solutions and Green’s matrices for divergence form, second order strongly elliptic systems in a domain , under the assumption that solutions of the system satisfy De Giorgi-Nash type local H?lder continuity estimates. In particular, our results apply to perturbations of diagonal systems, and thus especially to complex perturbations of a single real equation.     

Brake orbits type solutions to some class of semilinear elliptic equations

We consider a class of semilinear elliptic equations of the form

Existence of solutions of the very fast diffusion equation in bounded and unbounded domain

We prove the existence of a unique solution of the following Neumann problem , u > 0, in (a, b) × (0, T), u(x, 0) = u ₀(x) ≥ 0 in (a, b), and , where if m < 0, if m = 0, and m≤ 0, , and the case −1 < m ≤ 0, , for some constant p > 1 − m. We also obtain a similar result in higher dimensions. As a corollary we will give a new proof of a result of A. Rodriguez and J.L. Vazquez on the existence of infinitely many finite mass solutions of the above equation in for any −1 < m ≤ 0. We also obtain the exact decay rate of the solution at infinity.     

Pseudodifferential Calculi on the Half-line Respecting Prescribed Asymptotic Types

Given asymptotics types P, Q, pseudodifferential operators are constructed in such a way that if u(t) possesses conormal asymptotics of type P as t +0, then Au(t) possesses conormal asymptotics of type Q as t +0. This is achieved by choosing the operators A in Schulzes cone algebra on the half-line , controlling their complete Mellin symbols { }, and prescribing the mapping properties of the residual Green operators. The constructions lead to a coordinate invariant calculus, including trace and potential operators at t = 0, in which a parametrix construction for the elliptic elements is possible. Boutet de Monvels calculus for pseudodifferential boundary problems occurs as a special case when P = Q is the type resulting from Taylor expansion at t = 0.     

Convergence towards attractors for a degenerate Ginzburg-Landau equation

We study a real Ginzburg-Landau equation, in a bounded domain of \mathbbR^N ,\mathbb{R}^N , with a variable, generally non-smooth diffusion coefficient having a finite number of zeroes. By using the compactness of the embeddings of the weighted Sobolev spaces involved in the functional formulation of the problem, and the associated energy equation, we show the existence of a global attractor. The extension of the main result in the case of an unbounded domain is also discussed, where in addition, the diffusion coefficient has to be unbounded. Some remarks for the case of a complex Ginzburg-Landau equation are given.     

Optimal Domains and Integral Representations of Convolution Operators in <Emphasis Type="Italic">L</Emphasis><Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis></Superscript>(<Emphasis Type="Italic">G</Emphasis>)

Given , a compact abelian group G and a function , we identify the maximal (i.e. optimal) domain of the convolution operator (as an operator from L^p(G) to itself). This is the largest Banach function space (with order continuous norm) into which L^p(G) is embedded and to which has a continuous extension, still with values in L^p(G). Of course, the optimal domain depends on p and g. Whereas is compact, this is not always so for the extension of to its optimal domain. Several characterizations of precisely when this is the case are presented.     

The semiflow of a reaction diffusion equation with a singular potential

We study the semiflow defined by a semilinear parabolic equation with a singular square potential . It is known that the Hardy-Poincaré inequality and its improved versions, have a prominent role on the definition of the natural phase space. Our study concerns the case 0 < μ ≤ μ*, where μ* is the optimal constant for the Hardy-Poincaré inequality. On a bounded domain of , we justify the global bifurcation of nontrivial equilibrium solutions for a reaction term f(s) = λs − |s|^2γ s, with λ as a bifurcation parameter. We remark some qualitative differences of the branches in the subcritical case μ < μ* and the critical case μ = μ*. The global bifurcation result is used to show that any solution , initiating form initial data tends to the unique nonnegative equilibrium.     

Elliptic estimates independent of domain expansion

In this paper, we consider elliptic estimates for a system with smooth variable coefficients on a domain containing the origin. We first show the invariance of the estimates under a domain expansion defined by the scale that with parameter R > 1, provided that the coefficients are in a homogeneous Sobolev space. Then we apply these invariant estimates to the global existence of unique strong solutions to a parabolic system defined on an unbounded domain. This paper was supported in part by research funds of Chonbuk National University in 2007.     

Asymptotic properties of solutions of the viscous Hamilton-Jacobi equation

The purpose of the paper is to study properties of solutions of the Cauchy problem for the equation under the assumption . General selfsimilar solutions are constructed. Moreover, for initial data with some decay at infinity, we determine the leading term of the asymptotics of solutions in which is described by either solutions of the linear heat equation or by particular selfsimilar solutions of the original equation.     

Properties of the solutions of the Ginzburg-Landau equation on the bifurcation branch

Generalizing previous results of M. Comte and P. Mironescu, it is shown that for degree d large enough (such that ), there is a bifurcation branch in the set of the solutions of the Ginzburg-Landau equation, emanating from the branch of radial solutions at the critical value _d of the parameter. Moreover, the solutions on the bifurcation branch admit exactly d zeroes, and the energy on the bifurcation branch is strictly smaller than the energy on the radial branch.     

Periodic parabolic problems with concave and convex nonlinearities

Let be a smooth bounded domain, let a, b be two functions that are possibly discontinuous and unbounded with a ≥ 0 in and b > 0 in a set of positive measure and let 0 < p < 1 < q. We prove that there exists some 0 < Λ < ∞ such that the nonlinear Dirichlet periodic parabolic problem in has a positive solution for all 0 < λ < Λ and that there is no positive solution if λ > Λ. In some cases we also show the existence of a minimal solution for all 0 < λ < Λ and that the solution u _λ can be chosen such that λ → u _λ is differentiable and increasing. We also give some upper and lower estimates for such a Λ. All results remain true for the analogous elliptic problems. Partially supported by CONICET, Secyt-UNC, ANPCYT and Agencia Cordoba Ciencia     

Very weak solutions to elliptic equations with nonlinear Neumann boundary conditions

Consider the equation −Δu = 0 in a bounded smooth domain , complemented by the nonlinear Neumann boundary condition ∂_ν u = f(x, u) − u on ∂Ω. We show that any very weak solution of this problem belongs to L ^∞(Ω) provided f satisfies the growth condition |f(x, s)| ≤ C(1 + |s| ^p ) for some p ∈ (1, p*), where . If, in addition, f(x, s) ≥ −C + λs for some λ > 1, then all positive very weak solutions are uniformly a priori bounded. We also show by means of examples that p* is a sharp critical exponent. In particular, using variational methods we prove the following multiplicity result: if N ∈ {3, 4} and f(x, s) =  s ^p then there exists a domain Ω and such that our problem possesses at least two positive, unbounded, very weak solutions blowing up at a prescribed point of ∂Ω provided . Our regularity results and a priori bounds for positive very weak solutions remain true if the right-hand side in the differential equation is of the form h(x, u) with h satisfying suitable growth conditions.     

Poincaré inequality and Palais–Smale condition for the <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-Laplacian

An improved Poincaré inequality and validity of the Palais-Smale condition are investigated for the energy functional on , 1 < p < ∞, where Ω is a bounded domain in , is a spectral (control) parameter, and is a given function, in Ω. Analysis is focused on the case λ = λ₁, where −λ₁ is the first eigenvalue of the Dirichlet p-Laplacian Δ _p on , λ₁ > 0, and on the “quadratization” of within an arbitrarily small cone in around the axis spanned by , where stands for the first eigenfunction of Δ _p associated with −λ₁.     

Compactness of sequences of two-dimensional energies with a zero-order term. Application to three-dimensional nonlocal effects

In this paper we study the limit, in the sense of the Γ-convergence, of sequences of two-dimensional energies of the type , where A _n is a symmetric positive definite matrix-valued function and μ _n is a nonnegative Borel measure (which can take infinite values on compact sets). Under the sole equicoerciveness of A _n we prove that the limit energy belongs to the same class, i.e. its reads as , where is a diffusion independent of μ _n and μ is a nonnegative Borel measure which does depend on . This compactness result extends in dimension two the ones of [11,23] in which A _n is assumed to be uniformly bounded. It is also based on the compactness result of [7] obtained for sequences of two-dimensional diffusions (without zero-order term). Our result does not hold in dimension three or greater, since nonlocal effects may appear. However, restricting ourselves to three-dimensional diffusions with matrix-valued functions only depending on two coordinates, the previous two-dimensional result provides a new approach of the nonlocal effects. So, in the periodic case we obtain an explicit formula for the limit energy specifying the kernel of the nonlocal term.     

Existence and non-existence of solutions to elliptic equations related to the Caffarelli–Kohn–Nirenberg inequalities

We investigate elliptic equations related to the Caffarelli–Kohn–Nirenberg inequalities: and such that . For various parameters α, β and various domains Ω, we establish some existence and non-existence results of solutions in rather general, possibly degenerate or singular settings.     

A singular Moser-Trudinger embedding and its applications

Let Ω be a bounded domain in , we prove the singular Moser-Trudinger embedding: if and only if where and . We will also study the corresponding critical exponent problem.