An inverse problem for an elliptic equation with an affine term

We consider the following elliptic boundary value problem: on , u = 0 on where is a smooth bounded planar domain. We show that for a large class of domains and for any such that is not identically constant there exist at most finitely many different pairs of coefficients such that the problem has a solution with the normal flux on . Received: 4 February 1999     

The number of infinite clusters in dynamical percolation

Summary. Dynamical percolation is a Markov process on the space of subgraphs of a given graph, that has the usual percolation measure as its stationary distribution. In previous work with O. H?ggstr?m, we found conditions for existence of infinite clusters at exceptional times. Here we show that for ℤ ^d , with p>p _c , a.s. simultaneously for all times there is a unique infinite cluster, and the density of this cluster is θ(p). For dynamical percolation on a general tree Γ, we show that for p>p _c , a.s. there are infinitely many infinite clusters at all times. At the critical value p=p _c , the number of infinite clusters may vary, and exhibits surprisingly rich behaviour. For spherically symmetric trees, we find the Hausdorff dimension of the set T ^k of times where the number of infinite clusters is k, and obtain sharp capacity criteria for a given time set to intersect T ^k . The proof of this capacity criterion is based on a new kernel truncation technique. Received: 5 May 1997 / In revised form: 24 November 1997     

Stability and error estimates for the $\theta$-method for strongly monotone and infinitely stiff evolution equations

Summary.   For evolution equations with a strongly monotone operator we derive unconditional stability and discretization error estimates valid for all . For the -method, with , we prove an error estimate , if , where is the maximal integration step for an arbitrary choice of sequence of steps and with no assumptions about the existence of the Jacobian as well as other derivatives of the operator , and an optimal estimate under some additional relation between neighboring steps. The first result is an improvement over the implicit midpoint method , for which an order reduction to sometimes may occur for infinitely stiff problems. Numerical tests illustrate the results. Received March 10, 1999 / Revised version received April 3, 2000 / Published online February 5, 2001     

Maximum and anti-maximum principlesand eigenfunctions estimates via perturbation theory of positive solutions of elliptic equations

In this paper we discuss some new results concerning perturbation theory for second order elliptic partial differential equations related to positivity properties of such equations. We continue the study of some different notions of “small” perturbations and discuss their relations to comparisons of Green's functions, refined maximum and anti-maximum principles, ground state, and the decay of eigenfunctions. In particular, we show that if V is a positive function which is a semismall perturbation of a subcritical Schr?dinger operator H defined on a domain , and are the (Dirichlet) eigenfunctions of the equation , then for any , the function is bounded and has a continuous extension up to the Martin boundary of the pair , where is the ground state of H with a principal eigenvalue . Received: 29 November 1998     

$L_p$-spectral properties of the Neumann Laplacian on horns, comets and stars

We study -spectral properties of Neumann Laplacians on some planar domains and show by calculation that the essential spectrum of the Neumann Laplacian on certain horns depends on p. The proof uses ideas due to E.B. Davies and B. Simon for the reduction to one-dimensional operators and techniques involving Gaussian bounds. For domains looking like comets or stars, i.e. having countably many horn-shaped outlets, we prove a decoupling-reduction result. These results are used to construct planar domains for which the Neumann Laplacian has maximal -spectrum in the class of generators of symmetric submarkovian semigroups. Received: 17 January 2000; in final form: 25 July 2000 / Published online: 23 July 2001     

Computing orthogonal polynomials in Sobolev spaces

Summary. Numerical methods are considered for generating polynomials orthogonal with respect to an inner product of Sobolev type, i.e., one that involves derivatives up to some given order, each having its own (positive) measure associated with it. The principal objective is to compute the coefficients in the increasing-order recurrence relation that these polynomials satisfy by virtue of them forming a sequence of monic polynomials with degrees increasing by 1 from one member to the next. As a by-product of this computation, one gains access to the zeros of these polynomials via eigenvalues of an upper Hessenberg matrix formed by the coefficients generated. Two methods are developed: One is based on the modified moments of the constitutive measures and generalizes what for ordinary orthogonal polynomials is known as "modified Chebyshev algorithm". The other - a generalization of "Stieltjes's procedure" - expresses the desired coefficients in terms of a Sobolev inner product involving the orthogonal polynomials in question, whereby the inner product is evaluated by numerical quadrature and the polynomials involved are computed by means of the recurrence relation already generated up to that point. The numerical characteristics of these methods are illustrated in the case of Sobolev orthogonal polynomials of old as well as new types. Based on extensive numerical experimentation, a number of conjectures are formulated with regard to the location and interlacing properties of the respective zeros. Received July 13, 1994 / Revised version received September 26, 1994     

How to make a graph four-connected

(i) every 2-connected graph on n vertices can be made 4-connected by adding at most n new edges, and (ii) every 3-connected and 3-regular graph on n≥8 vertices can be made 4-connected by adding n/2 new edges. Received October 1995 / Revised version received March 1997 Published online March 16, 1999     

Concavity estimates for a class of nonlinear elliptic equations in two dimensions

We study solutions of the nonlinear elliptic equation on a bounded domain in . It is shown that the set of points where the graph of the solution has negative Gauss curvature always extends to the boundary, unless it is empty. The meethod uses an elliptic equation satisfied by an auxiliary function given by the product of the Hessian determinant and a suitable power of the solutions. As a consequence of the result, we give a new proof for power concavity of solutions to certain semilinear boundary value problems in convex domains. Received: 12 January 2000; in final form: 15 March 2001 / Published online: 4 April 2002     

Existence of multipeak solutions for a semilinear Neumann problem via nonsmooth critical point theory

We study a perturbed semilinear problem with Neumann boundary condition where is a bounded smooth domain of , , , if or if and is the unit outward normal at the boundary of . We show that for any fixed positive integer K any “suitable” critical point of the function generates a family of multiple interior spike solutions, whose local maximum points tend to as tends to zero. Received March 7, 1999 / Accepted October 1, 1999 / Published online April 6, 2000