Global Jacobian and Γ-convergence in a two-dimensional Ginzburg-Landau model for boundary vortices

In the theory of 2D Ginzburg-Landau vortices, the Jacobian plays a crucial role for the detection of topological singularities. We introduce a related distributional quantity, called the global Jacobian that can detect both interior and boundary vortices for a 2D map u. We point out several features of the global Jacobian, in particular, we prove an important stability property. This property allows us to study boundary vortices in a 2D Ginzburg-Landau model arising in thin ferromagnetic films, where a weak anchoring boundary energy penalising the normal component of u at the boundary competes with the usual bulk potential energy. We prove an asymptotic expansion by Γ-convergence at the second order for this mixed boundary/interior energy in a regime where boundary vortices are preferred. More precisely, at the first order of the limiting expansion, the energy is quantised and determined by the number of boundary vortices detected by the global Jacobian, while the second order term in the limiting energy expansion accounts for the interaction between the boundary vortices.     

Traveling waves for a boundary reaction–diffusion equation

We prove the existence of a traveling wave solution for a boundary reaction–diffusion equation when the reaction term is the combustion nonlinearity with ignition temperature. A key role in the proof is plaid by an explicit formula for traveling wave solutions of a free boundary problem obtained as singular limit for the reaction–diffusion equation (the so-called high energy activation energy limit). This explicit formula, which is interesting in itself, also allows us to get an estimate on the decay at infinity of the traveling wave (which turns out to be faster than the usual exponential decay).     

Numerical method for determining the inhomogeneity boundary in the Dirichlet problem for Laplace’s equation in a piecewise homogeneous medium

The Dirichlet problem for Laplace’s equation in a two-dimensional domain filled with a piecewise homogeneous medium is considered. The boundary of the inhomogeneity is assumed to be unknown. The inverse problem of determining the inhomogeneity boundary from additional information on the solution of the Dirichlet problem is considered. A numerical method based on the linearization of the nonlinear operator equation for the unknown boundary is proposed for solving the inverse problem. The results of numerical experiments are presented.     

A boundary value problem for hypermonogenic functions in Clifford analysis

This paper deals with a boundary value problem for hypermonogenic functions in Clifford analysis. Firstly we discuss integrals of quasi-Cauchy's type and get the Plemelj formula for hypermonogenic functions in Clifford analysis, and then we address Riemman boundary value problem for hypermonogenic functions.     

Unified theory for abstract parabolic boundary problems—a semigroup approach

This paper presents and abstract semigroup formulation ofparabolic boundary value problems. Smoothness of solutions, represented by a semigroup formula, is the primary object of discussion. The generality of our approach enables us to treat in a unified manner theregularity of solutions to parabolic equations for a large variety of nonhomogeneous boundary value problems. In particular, the approach presented here allows us to translate known regularity results of the elliptic theory directly into regularity results for the parabolic solutions. On the one hand, our theory recaptures known regularity results of the parabolic solutions over smooth spatial domains. On the other hand, however, our theory also covers the case of conical spatial domains, for which the standard assumption ofC -boundaries is violated by suitable application of recent relevant results of elliptic theory for such domains. In the concluding section, an application of our general theory to a boundary control problem with a quadratic performance index is presented.Research supported in part under Grant no. 78-3550, AFOSR, Applied Math Division, USAF.     

Derivation of Prandtl boundary layer equations for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations in a curved domain

The proposal of this note is to derive the equations of boundary layers in the small viscosity limit for the two-dimensional incompressible Navier–Stokes equations defined in a curved bounded domain with the non-slip boundary condition. By using curvilinear coordinate system in a neighborhood of boundary, and the multi-scale analysis we deduce that the leading profiles of boundary layers of the incompressible flows in a bounded domain still satisfy the classical Prandtl equations when the viscosity goes to zero, which are the same as for the flows defined in the half space.     

Fast transforms for high order boundary conditions in deconvolution problems

We study strategies to increase the precision in deconvolution models, while maintaining the complexity of the related numerical linear algebra procedures (matrix-vector product, linear system solution, computation of eigenvalues, etc.) of the same order of the celebrated fast Fourier transform. The key idea is the choice of a suitable functional basis to represent signals and images. Starting from an analysis of the spectral decomposition of blurring matrices associated to the antireflective boundary conditions introduced in Serra Capizzano (SIAM J. Sci. Comput. 25(3):1307–1325, 2003), we extend the model for preserving polynomials of higher degree and fast computations also in the nonsymmetric case.     

Difference scheme for an initial–boundary value problem for a singularly perturbed transport equation

An initial–boundary value problem for a singularly perturbed transport equation with a perturbation parameter ε multiplying the spatial derivative is considered on the set ? = G ∪ S, where ? = D? × [0 ≤ t ≤ T], D? = {0 ≤ x ≤ d}, S = S ^l ∪ S, and S ^l and S₀ are the lateral and lower boundaries. The parameter ε takes arbitrary values from the half-open interval (0,1]. In contrast to the well-known problem for the regular transport equation, for small values of ε, this problem involves a boundary layer of width O(ε) appearing in the neighborhood of S ^l ; in the layer, the solution of the problem varies by a finite value. For this singularly perturbed problem, the solution of a standard difference scheme on a uniform grid does not converge ε-uniformly in the maximum norm. Convergence occurs only if h=dN^-1 ? ε and N₀^-1 ? 1, where N and N₀ are the numbers of grid intervals in x and t, respectively, and h is the mesh size in x. The solution of the considered problem is decomposed into the sum of regular and singular components. With the behavior of the singular component taken into account, a special difference scheme is constructed on a Shishkin mesh, i.e., on a mesh that is piecewise uniform in x and uniform in t. On such a grid, a monotone difference scheme for the initial–boundary value problem for the singularly perturbed transport equation converges ε-uniformly in the maximum norm at an ?(N^?1 + N₀^?1) rate.     

Optimal boundary regularity for a singular Monge–Ampère equation

In this paper we study the optimal global regularity for a singular Monge–Ampère type equation which arises from a few geometric problems. We find that the global regularity does not depend on the smoothness of domain, but it does depend on the convexity of the domain. We introduce $(a,\eta )$ type to describe the convexity. As a result, we show that the more convex is the domain, the better is the regularity of the solution. In particular, the regularity is the best near angular points.     

On the solvability in a weighted space of an initial–boundary value problem for a third-order operator-differential equation with a parabolic principal part

In a Sobolev-type space with an exponential weight, sufficient conditions are obtained for the correct and unique solvability of an initial–boundary value problem for a third-order operator-differential equation with a parabolic principal part having a multiple characteristic. The conditions are expressed in terms of the operator coefficients of the equation. Additionally, the norms of the operators of intermediate derivatives associated with the solvability conditions are estimated. The relation between the weight exponent and the lower boundary of the spectrum of the basic operator involved in the principal part of the equation is established. The results are illustrated as applied to a mixed problem for partial differential equations.     

Analytical-numerical investigation of a singular boundary value problem for a generalized Emden–Fowler equation

In this paper we are concerned about a singular boundary value problem for a quasilinear second-order ordinary differential equation, involving the one-dimensional p$p$-laplacian. Asymptotic expansions of the one-parameter families of solutions, satisfying the prescribed boundary conditions, are obtained in the neighborhood of the singular points and this enables us to compute numerical solutions using stable shooting methods.     

Regularity of solutions of boundary value problems for a second-order parabolic equation in weighted Hölder spaces

We consider the first boundary value problem and the oblique derivative problem for a linear second-order parabolic equation in noncylindrical not necessarily bounded domains with nonsmooth (with respect to t) and noncompact lateral boundary under the assumption that the right-hand side and the lower-order coefficients of the equation may have certain growth when approaching the parabolic boundary of the domain and all coefficients are locally Hölder with given characteristics of the Hölder property. We construct a smoothness scale of solutions of these boundary value problems in Hölder spaces of functions that admit growth of higher derivatives near the parabolic boundary of the domain.     

Determining the internal boundary of a region in the two-dimensional initial–boundary-value problem for the heat equation

The article investigates the reconstruction of the internal boundary of a two-dimensional region in the two-dimensional initial–boundary-value problem for the homogeneous heat equation. The initial values for the determination of the internal boundary are provided by a boundary condition of second kind on the external boundary and the solution of the initial–boundary-value problem at finitely many points inside the region. The inverse problem is reduced to solving a system of integral equations nonlinear in the function describing the sought boundary. An iterative numerical procedure is proposed involving linearization of integral equations.     

Dual regularization and Pontryagin’s maximum principle in a problem of optimal boundary control for a parabolic equation with nondifferentiable functionals

A problem of optimal boundary control is considered for a divergent linear parabolic equation. Equality constraints of the problem are given by nondifferentiable functionals. A dual regularization algorithm stable to errors in initial data is constructed for solving the problem. Pontryagin’s maximum principle plays the key role in this algorithm.     

Solution of boundary value problems for Laplace’s equation in a piecewise homogeneous plane with a parabolic crack (screen)

Boundary value problems for Laplace’s equation are considered in a piecewise homogeneous plane divided into two zones by a strongly permeable crack or a weakly permeable screen in the form of a parabola. The desired potentials have prescribed singular points (sources, sinks, etc.). Formulas are derived expressing the potentials in terms of harmonic functions that have the given singular points and describe similar processes in a homogeneous plane.     

Initial boundary value problem for a coupled Camassa–Holm system with peakons

We investigate the homogeneous initial boundary value problem for a coupled Camassa–Holm system with peakons on the half line. We first establish the local well-posedness for the system. We then present a precise blowup scenario and several blowup results of strong solutions to the system. We finally give the blowup rate of strong solutions to the system when blowup occurs.     

Bifurcation for a reaction–diffusion system with unilateral and Neumann boundary conditions

We consider a reaction–diffusion system of activator–inhibitor or substrate-depletion type which is subject to diffusion-driven instability if supplemented by pure Neumann boundary conditions. We show by a degree-theoretic approach that an obstacle (e.g. a unilateral membrane) modeled in terms of inequalities, introduces new bifurcation of spatial patterns in a parameter domain where the trivial solution of the problem without the obstacle is stable. Moreover, this parameter domain is rather different from the known case when also Dirichlet conditions are assumed. In particular, bifurcation arises for fast diffusion of activator and slow diffusion of inhibitor which is the difference from all situations which we know.