A priori bounds in weighted spaces

In unbounded domains we state some a priori bounds for solutions of the Dirichlet problem for linear second order elliptic differential equations in nondivergence form with discontinuous coefficients in weighted spaces. The weight function is related to the distance function from a fixed subset S of ∂Ω.     

Elliptic equations for measures on infinite dimensional spaces and applications

We introduce and study a new concept of a weak elliptic equation for measures on infinite dimensional spaces. This concept allows one to consider equations whose coefficients are not globally integrable. By using a suitably extended Lyapunov function technique, we derive a priori estimates for the solutions of such equations and prove new existence results. As an application, we consider stochastic Burgers, reaction-diffusion, and Navier-Stokes equations and investigate the elliptic equations for the corresponding invariant measures. Our general theorems yield a priori estimates and existence results for such elliptic equations. We also obtain moment estimates for Gibbs distributions and prove an existence result applicable to a wide class of models. Received: 23 January 2000 / Revised version: 4 October 2000 / Published online: 5 June 2001     

On the Structure of Spectra of Modulated Travelling Waves

Modulated travelling waves are solutions to reaction-diffusion equations that are time-periodic in an appropriate moving coordinate frame. They may arise through Hopf bifurcations or essential instabilities from pulses o fronts. In this article, a framework for the stability analysis of such solutions is presented: the reaction-diffusion equation is cast as an ill-posed elliptic dynamical system in the spatial variable acting upon time-periodic functions. Using this formulation, points in the esolvent set, the point spectrum, and the essential spectrum of the linearization about a modulated travelling wave are related to the existence of exponential dichotomies on appopriate intervals for the associated spatial elliptic eigenvalue problem. Fredholm properties of the linearized operator are characterized by a relative Morse-Floe index of the elliptic equation. These results are proved without assumptions on the asymptotic shape of the wave. Analogous results are true for the spectra of travelling waves to parabolic equations on unbounded cylinders. As an application, we study the existence and stability of modulated spatially-periodic patterns with long-wavelength that accompany modulated pulses.     

Positive solutions of quasilinear parabolic systems with Dirichlet boundary condition

Coupled systems for a class of quasilinear parabolic equations and the corresponding elliptic systems, including systems of parabolic and ordinary differential equations are investigated. The aim of this paper is to show the existence, uniqueness, and asymptotic behavior of time-dependent solutions. Also investigated is the existence of positive maximal and minimal solutions of the corresponding quasilinear elliptic system. The elliptic operators in both systems are allowed to be degenerate in the sense that the density-dependent diffusion coefficients Di(ui) may have the property Di(0)=0 for some or all i=1,…,N, and the boundary condition is ui=0. Using the method of upper and lower solutions, we show that a unique global classical time-dependent solution exists and converges to the maximal solution for one class of initial functions and it converges to the minimal solution for another class of initial functions; and if the maximal and minimal solutions coincide then the steady-state solution is unique and the time-dependent solution converges to the unique solution. Applications of these results are given to three model problems, including a scalar polynomial growth problem, a coupled system of polynomial growth problem, and a two component competition model in ecology.     

Generalized Solutions to Semilinear Elliptic PDE with Applications to the Lichnerowicz Equation

In this article we investigate the existence of a solution to a semi-linear, elliptic, partial differential equation with distributional coefficients and data. The problem we consider is a generalization of the Lichnerowicz equation that one encounters in studying the constraint equations in general relativity. Our method for solving this problem consists of solving a net of regularized, semi-linear problems with data obtained by smoothing the original, distributional coefficients. In order to solve these regularized problems, we develop a priori L ^∞-bounds and sub- and super-solutions to apply a fixed point argument. We then show that the net of solutions obtained through this process satisfies certain decay estimates by determining estimates for the sub- and super-solutions and utilizing classical, a priori elliptic estimates. The estimates for this net of solutions allow us to regard this collection of functions as a solution in a Colombeau-type algebra. We motivate this Colombeau algebra framework by first solving an ill-posed critical exponent problem. To solve this ill-posed problem, we use a collection of smooth, “approximating” problems and then use the resulting sequence of solutions and a compactness argument to obtain a solution to the original problem. This approach is modeled after the more general Colombeau framework that we develop, and it conveys the potential that solutions in these abstract spaces have for obtaining classical solutions to ill-posed non-linear problems with irregular data.     

Analysis of reaction-diffusion systems by the method of linear determining equations

Exact solutions to two-component systems of reaction-diffusion equations are sought by the method of linear determining equations (LDEs) generalizing the methods of the classical group analysis of differential equations. LDEs are constructed for a system of two second-order evolutionary equations. The results of solving the LDEs are presented for two-component systems of reaction-diffusion equations with polynomial nonlinearities in the diffusion coefficients. Examples of constructing noninvariant solutions are presented for the reaction-diffusion systems that possess invariant manifolds.     

QUENCHING PROBLEMS OF DEGENERATE FUNCTIONAL REACTION-DIFFUSION EQUATION

This paper is concerned with the quenching problem of a degenerate functional reaction-diffusion equation. The quenching problem and global existence of solution for the reaction-diffusion equation are derived and, some results of the positive steady state solutions for functional elliptic boundary value are also presented.     

Positive solutions of quasilinear parabolic systems with nonlinear boundary conditions

The aim of this paper is to investigate the existence, uniqueness, and asymptotic behavior of solutions for a coupled system of quasilinear parabolic equations under nonlinear boundary conditions, including a system of quasilinear parabolic and ordinary differential equations. Also investigated is the existence of positive maximal and minimal solutions of the corresponding quasilinear elliptic system as well as the uniqueness of a positive steady-state solution. The elliptic operators in both systems are allowed to be degenerate in the sense that the density-dependent diffusion coefficients Di(ui) may have the property Di(0)=0 for some or all i. Our approach to the problem is by the method of upper and lower solutions and its associated monotone iterations. It is shown that the time-dependent solution converges to the maximal solution for one class of initial functions and it converges to the minimal solution for another class of initial functions; and if the maximal and minimal solutions coincide then the steady-state solution is unique and the time-dependent solution converges to the unique solution. Applications of these results are given to three model problems, including a porous medium type of problem, a heat-transfer problem, and a two-component competition model in ecology. These applications illustrate some very interesting distinctive behavior of the time-dependent solutions between density-independent and density-dependent diffusions.     

Uniform convergence of sequences of solutions of two-dimensional linear elliptic equations with unbounded coefficients

This paper deals with the behavior of two-dimensional linear elliptic equations with unbounded (and possibly infinite) coefficients. We prove the uniform convergence of the solutions by truncating the coefficients and using a pointwise estimate of the solutions combined with a two-dimensional capacitary estimate. We give two applications of this result: the continuity of the solutions of two-dimensional linear elliptic equations by a constructive approach, and the density of the continuous functions in the domain of the Γ-limit of equicoercive diffusion energies in dimension two. We also build two counter-examples which show that the previous results cannot be extended to dimension three.     

Global solutions for quasilinear parabolic problems

Results on the global existence of classical solutions for quasilinear parabolic equations in bounded domains with homogeneous Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions are presented. Besides quasilinear parabolic equations, the method is also applicable to some weakly-coupled reaction-diffusion systems and to elliptic equations with nonlinear dynamic boundary conditions. Received December 21, 2000; accepted August 30, 2001.     

Nonexistence of positive solutions to a quasilinear elliptic system and blow-up estimates for a non-Newtonian filtration system

The prior estimate and decay property of positive solutions are derived for a system of quasilinear elliptic differential equations first. Then the result of nonexistence for a differential equation system of radially nonincreasing positive solutions is implied. By using this nonexistence result, blow-up estimates for a class of quasilinear reaction-diffusion systems (non-Newtonian filtration systems) are established to extend the result of semilinear reaction-diffusion (Fujita type) systems.     

Linear second-order divergence equations in Lipschitz domains

In this paper we generalize gradient estimates in Lp spaces to Orlicz spaces for weak solutions of second-order divergence elliptic equations with small BMO coefficients in Lipschitz domains. Our results improve the known results for such equations using the harmonic analysis method.     

Nonlinear fourth-order elliptic equations with nonlocal boundary conditions

This paper is concerned with a class of fourth-order nonlinear elliptic equations with nonlocal boundary conditions, including a multi-point boundary condition in a bounded domain of Rn. Also considered is a second-order elliptic equation with nonlocal boundary condition, and the usual multi-point boundary problem in ordinary differential equations. The aim of the paper is to show the existence of maximal and minimal solutions, the uniqueness of a positive solution, and the method of construction for these solutions. Our approach to the above problems is by the method of upper and lower solutions and its associated monotone iterations. The monotone iterative schemes can be developed into computational algorithms for numerical solutions of the problem by either the finite difference method or the finite element method.     

Conditional symmetries and exact solutions of nonlinear reaction-diffusion systems with non-constant diffusivities

Q-conditional symmetries (nonclassical symmetries) for the general class of two-component reaction-diffusion systems with non-constant diffusivities are studied. Using the recently introduced notion of Q-conditional symmetries of the first type, an exhausted list of reaction-diffusion systems admitting such symmetry is derived. The results obtained for the reaction-diffusion systems are compared with those for the scalar reaction-diffusion equations. The symmetries found for reducing reaction-diffusion systems to two-dimensional dynamical systems, i.e., ODE systems, and finding exact solutions are applied. As result, multiparameter families of exact solutions in the explicit form for a nonlinear reaction-diffusion system with an arbitrary diffusivity are constructed. Finally, the application of the exact solutions for solving a biologically and physically motivated system is presented.     

On convergence to steady state of solutions of parabolic equations in unbounded domains

Solutions of the first mixed boundary value problem for a class of parabolic partial differential equations are shown to converge to solutions of associated elliptic boundary value problems as time t → ∞. The method of proof involves the introduction, for the parabolic problem, of a class of generalized solutions which may behave asymptotically, at spatial infinity, like solutions of the associated elliptic equation.     

Lp-estimates for the Strong Solutions of Elliptic Equations of Nondivergent Type

We investigate the second derivatives L^p-estimates for the strong solutions of second order linear elliptic equations in nondivergencc form Lu = f in the case in which the leading coefficients of L are not continuous. The L^p-estimates for small p are obtained if L is uniformly elliptic. Furthermore, if the leading coefficients of L belong to W^{1,n}, then we get the second derivatives L^p-estimates for large p. The existence of the strong solutions of the homogeneous Dirichlet problem is also considered.     

Finite difference reaction-diffusion systems with coupled boundary conditions and time delays

This paper is concerned with finite difference solutions of a coupled system of reaction-diffusion equations with nonlinear boundary conditions and time delays. The system is coupled through the reaction functions as well as the boundary conditions, and the time delays may appear in both the reaction functions and the boundary functions. The reaction-diffusion system is discretized by the finite difference method, and the investigation is devoted to the finite difference equations for both the time-dependent problem and its corresponding steady-state problem. This investigation includes the existence and uniqueness of a finite difference solution for nonquasimonotone functions, monotone convergence of the time-dependent solution to a maximal or a minimal steady-state solution for quasimonotone functions, and local and global attractors of the time-dependent system, including the convergence of the time-dependent solution to a unique steady-state solution. Also discussed are some computational algorithms for numerical solutions of the steady-state problem when the reaction function and the boundary function are quasimonotone. All the results for the coupled reaction-diffusion equations are directly applicable to systems of parabolic-ordinary equations and to reaction-diffusion systems without time delays.     

Gradient estimates in Orlicz space for nonlinear elliptic equations

In this paper we generalize gradient estimates in Lp space to Orlicz space for weak solutions of elliptic equations of p-Laplacian type with small BMO coefficients in δ-Reifenberg flat domains. Our results improve the known results for such equations using a harmonic analysis-free technique.     

椭圆型方程组边值问题近似解的收敛性

本文研究了在矩形域内四阶系数不连续的椭圆型方程组边值问题近似解的收敛性问题,这对某一类弹性支承上的矩形板弯曲问题有参考价值。     

Existence of non-radially symmetric viscosity solutions to semilinear degenerate elliptic equations with radially symmetric coefficients in the plane, Part I

We prove the existence of non-radially symmetric solutions for semilinear degenerate elliptic equations with radially symmetric coefficients in the plane. We adapt the viscosity solution for the weak solution. The key arguments consist of the analysis of the structure of 2π-periodic solutions for the associated Laplace-Beltrami operator and construction of super- and sub-solutions which have the prescribed asymptotic structures.