Growth estimates for solutions to initial-boundary value problems in viscoelasticity

For the abstract Volterra integro-differential equation u_tt ? Nu + ∝_?∞^t K(t ? τ) u(τ) dτ = 0 in Hilbert space, with prescribed past history u(τ) = U(τ), ? ∞ < τ < 0, and associated initial data u(0) = f, u_t(0) = g, we establish conditions on K(t), ? ∞ < t < + ∞ which yield various growth estimates for solutions u(t), belonging to a certain uniformly bounded class, as well as lower bounds for the rate of decay of solutions. Our results are interpreted in terms of solutions to a class of initial-boundary value problems in isothermal linear viscoelasticity.     

Symmetry reductions and exact solutions of shallow water wave equations

In this paper we study symmetry reductions and exact solutions of the shallow water wave (SWW) equation $$u_{xxxt} + \alpha u_x u_{xt} + \beta u_t u_{xx} - u_{xt} - u_{xx} = 0,$$ whereα andβ are arbitrary, nonzero, constants, which is derivable using the so-called Boussinesq approximation. Two special cases of this equation, or the equivalent nonlocal equation obtained by settingu _x =U, have been discussed in the literature. The caseα=2β was discussed by Ablowitz, Kaup, Newell and Segur (Stud. Appl. Math.,53 (1974), 249), who showed that this case was solvable by inverse scattering through a second-order linear problem. This case and the caseα=β were studied by Hirota and Satsuma (J. Phys. Soc. Japan,40 (1976), 611) using Hirota's bi-linear technique. Further, the caseα=β is solvable by inverse scattering through a third-order linear problem. In this paper, a catalogue of symmetry reductions is obtained using the classical Lie method and the nonclassical method due to Bluman and Cole (J. Math. Mech,18 (1969), 1025). The classical Lie method yields symmetry reductions of (1) expressible in terms of the first, third and fifth Painlevé transcendents and Weierstrass elliptic functions. The nonclassical method yields a plethora of exact solutions of (1) withα=β which possess a rich variety of qualitative behaviours. These solutions all like a two-soliton solution fort < 0 but differ radically fort > 0 and may be viewed as a nonlinear superposition of two solitons, one travelling to the left with arbitrary speed and the other to the right with equal and opposite speed. These families of solutions have important implications with regard to the numerical analysis of SWW and suggests that solving (1) numerically could pose some fundamental difficulties. In particular, one would not be able to distinguish the solutions in an initial-value problem since an exponentially small change in the initial conditions can result in completely different qualitative behaviours. We compare the two-soliton solutions obtained using the nonclassical method to those obtained using the singular manifold method and Hirota's bi-linear method. Further, we show that there is an analogous nonlinear superposition of solutions for two (2+1)dimensional generalisations of the SWW Equation (1) withα=β. This yields solutions expressible as the sum of two solutions of the Korteweg-de Vries equation.     

The splitting of separatrices,the branching of solutions and non-integrability in the problem of the motion of a spherical pendulum with an oscillating suspension point

The effectiveness of the results obtained previously in [Dovbysh SA. Transversal intersection of separatrices and non-existence of an analytical integral in multidimensional systems. In: Ambrosetti A, Dell Antonio GF, editors. Variational and Local Methods in the Study of Hamiltonian Systems. Singapore, etc: World Scientific; 1995. p. 156–65; Dovbysh SA. Transversal intersection of separatrices, the structure of a set of quasi-random motions and the non-existence of an analytic integral in multidimensional systems. Uspekhi Mat Nauk 1996; 51(4): 153–54; Dovbysh SA. Transversal intersection of separatrices and branching of solutions as obstructions to the existence of an analytic integral in many-dimensional systems. I. Basic result: Separatrices of hyperbolic periodic points. Collect Math 1999; 50(2): 119–97; Dovbysh SA. Branching of the solutions in the complex domain from the point of view of symbolic dynamics and the non-integrability of multidimensional systems. Dokl Ross Akad Nauk 1998; 361(3): 303–6] on the non-integrability of multidimensional systems is illustrated using the example of the problem of the motion of a spherical pendulum with a suspension point performing small periodic oscillations. With this aim, the splitting of the separatrices of the unstable equilibrium position and the branching of the solutions are investigated. It is shown that the separatrices are split for any law of motion of the suspension point, and a simple criterion of the presence of their transversal intersection is obtained. The validity of the non-integrability result, based on a combination of the conditions related to the splitting of multidimensional separatrices and to the branching of the solutions, is also pointed out.     

Solution of Ulam's problem on searching with a lie

S. M. Ulam, (“Adventures of a Mathematician,” Scribner's, 1976.) stated the following problem: what is the minimal number of yes-no queries needed to find an integer between one and one million, if one lie is allowed among the answers. In Rivest et al. (J. Comput. System Sci 20, 396–404 (1980) and Spencer, (Math. Mag. 57, 105–108 (1984) partial solutions were given by establishing bounds for the minimal number of queries necessary to find a number in the set {1,…, n}. Applied to the original question both solutions yield two possibilities: 25 or 26. We give an exact solution of Ulam's problem in the general case. For n = 10⁶ the answer turns out to be 25. We also give an algorithm to perform the search using the minimal number of queries.     

Periodic solutions for systems of forced coupled pendulum-like equations

The existence of periodic solutions for systems of forced pendulum-like equations was studied in the papers by J. A. Marlin (Internat. J. Nonlinear Mech.3 (1968), 439–447) and J. Mawhin (Internat. J. Nonlinear Mech.5 (1970), 335–339). In both works some symmetry hypotheses on the forcing terms were considered. This paper discusses the existence and multiplicity of periodic solutions of systems under consideration without any requirement on the symmetry of the forcing terms. Note that as a model example it is possible to consider the motion of N coupled pendulums (see the already mentioned paper by J. A. Marlin) or the oscillations of an N-coupled point Josephson junction with external time-dependent disturbances studied in the autonomous case by M. Levi, F. C. Hoppensteadt, and W. L. Miranker (Quart. Appl. Math.36 (1978), 167–198).     

Mouvements rigides associés à des masses positives et négatives

The Note deals with rigid solutions of the N-Body Problem, i.e. solutions with constant mutual distances between the bodies. It is shown that for these motions, the configuration is balanced in the sense of Albouy and Chenciner [Invent. Math. 131 (1998) 151–184] even when the masses are of different signs. This fact was proved only for positive masses, using the scalar product they define. A consequence of the result is the constancy of the rotation velocity. It is also shown that any configuration can generate non-planar rigid motions for certain masses. Such motions do not exist with positive masses. All the results can be generalized to systems with N charged particles. To cite this article: M. Celli, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 340 (2005).     

Solutions auto-similaires non radiales pour l'équation quasi-géostrophique dissipative critique

We prove the existence of self-similar solutions for the critical dissipative quasi-geostrophic equation by using the formalism of mild solutions in a space close to $L^{\infty }$. To cite this article: F. Marchand, P.G. Lemarié-Rieusset, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 341 (2005).     

The incompressible limit of solutions of the two-dimensional compressible Euler system with degenerating initial data

Using Strichartz estimates, it is possible to pass to the limit in the weakly compressible 2-D Euler system, when the Mach number ε tends to zero, even if the initial data are not uniformly smooth. This leads to results of convergence to solutions of the incompressible Euler system whose regularity is critical, such as vortex patches or Yudovich solutions. To cite this article: A. Dutrifoy, T. Hmidi, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 336 (2003).     

A simplified variational model for the bidimensional coupled evolution equations of a nematic liquid crystal

In Dias (C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris Sér. A. 285 (1977)) we have deduced, from Leslie's model (Arch. Rat. Mech. Anal. 28 (1968)), a weak formulation for the bidimensional coupled evolution equations of an incompressible nematic liquid crystal submitted to an homogeneous magnetic field. In this paper we prove some results about the existence, regularity and uniqueness of their solutions. This study extends the special case developed in Dias (J. Mécanique15 (1976)), where we assumed that the director field depends on time only.     

Existence of solutions to a nonlinear boundary value problem by variational means

When material in a bounded region is undergoing an exothermic reaction, the temperature, under the assumption of a steady state, satisfies a nonlinear elliptic boundary value problem which can be ill posed. In this article the existence of generalised and classical solutions of these mildly nonlinear elliptic boundary value problems is shown by using variational methods. The work is motivated by, and generalises, the results given in Levinson (J. Math. Mech12 (1963), 567–575; Arch. Rational Mech. Anal.11 (1962), 258–272) for special cases of these equations in two dimensions.     

Les solutions élements finis des équations de Navier–Stokes périodiques en dimension trois sont « appropriées »

It is shown that the limits of Faedo–Galerkin approximations of the Navier–Stokes equations in the three-dimensional torus are suitable weak solutions to the Navier–Stokes equations provided they are constructed using finite-dimensional spaces having a discrete commutator property and satisfying a proper inf–sup condition. Low order mixed finite element spaces appear to be acceptable for this purpose. This question was open since the notion of suitable solution was introduced. To cite this article: J.-L. Guermond, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 341 (2005).     

Error-free computer solution of certain systems of linear equations

In this article we propose a procedure which generates the exact solution for the system Ax = b, where A is an integral nonsingular matrix and b is an integral vector, by improving the initial floating-point approximation to the solution. This procedure, based on an easily programmed method proposed by Aberth [1], first computes the approximate floating-point solution x^* by using an available linear equation solving algorithm. Then it extracts the exact solution x from x^* if the error in the approximation x^* is sufficiently small. An a posteriori upper bound for the error of x^* is derived when Gaussian Elimination with partial pivoting is used. Also, a computable upper bound for |det(A)|, which is an alternative to using Hadamard's inequality, is obtained as a byproduct of the Gaussian Elimination process.     

Eigenvalue problems for higher-order p-Laplacian dynamic equations on time scales

Let T be a time scale. The existence of positive solutions for the nonlinear four-point singular boundary value eigenvalue problem with higher-order p-Laplacian dynamic equations on time scales is studied. By using the fixed-point index theory, we derive an explicit interval of λ such that for any λ in this interval, the existence of at least one positive solution to the eigenvalue problem is guaranteed, and the existence of at least two solutions for λ in an appropriate interval is also discussed.     

Sobolev weak solutions for parabolic PDEs and FBSDEs

This Note is devoted to the representation of Sobolev weak solutions to quasi-linear parabolic PDEs with monotone coefficients via FBSDEs. One distinctive character of this result is that the forward component of the FBSDE is coupled with the backward variable. To cite this article: F. Zhang, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 347 (2009).     

Existence and nonuniqueness of solutions to a functional-differential equation

We examine the functional-differential equation Δu(x) — div(u(H(x))f (x)) = 0 on a torus which is a generalization of the stationary Fokker-Planck equation. Under sufficiently general assumptions on the vector field f and the map H, we prove the existence of a nontrivial solution. In some cases the subspace of solutions is established to be multidimensional.     

The periodic and eigen solutions of the equation governing a nonrotating viscoelastic earth model under transient force

The problem of existence of the periodic solution of the equation governing a nonrotating viscoelastic earth model under transient force is examined. By first formulating the governing equations, using the methods of Coleman and Noll (Rev. Modern Physics33 (2) (1961), 239–249), Dahlen and Smith (Philos. Trans. Roy. Soc. London A279 (1975), 583–624), and Biot (“Mechanics of Incremental Deformations,” Wiley, New York, 1965), these equations are subjected to oscillatory displacement resulting in an eigenvalue problem whose solutions are the viscoelastic-gravitational displacement eigenfunctions U(x) with associated eigenfrequencies ω. A theorem is then proved to show the existence of a periodic solution.     

Non-homogeneous boundary conditions for a fourth-order diffusion equation

The existence of classical solutions to a one-dimensional non-linear fourth-order elliptic equation arising in quantum semiconductor modeling is proved for a class of non-homogeneous boundary conditions using degree theory. Furthermore, some non-existence results for other classes of boundary conditions are presented. To cite this article: P. Amster et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 346 (2008).     

Some matrix functional equations

We investigate the pair of matrix functional equations G(x)F(y) = G(xy) and G(x)G(y) = F(y/x), featuring the two independent scalar variables x and y and the two N×N matrices F(z) andG(z) (with N an arbitrary positive integer and the elements of these two matrices functions of the scalar variable z). We focus on the simplest class of solutions, i.e., on matrices all of whose elements are analytic functions of the independent variable. While in the scalar (N = 1) case this pair of functional equations only possess altogether trivial constant solutions, in the matrix (N > 1) case there are nontrivial solutions. These solutions satisfy the additional pair of functional equations F(x)G(y) = G(y/x) andF(x)F(y) = F(xy), and an endless hierarchy of other functional equations featuring more than two independent variables.     

Hölder continuity of solutions to a basic problem in the calculus of variations

For the basic problem in the calculus of variations where the Lagrangian is convex and depends only on the gradient, we establish the continuity of the solutions when the Dirichlet boundary condition is defined by a continuous function ϕ. When ϕ is Lipschitz continuous, then the solutions are Hölder continuous. To cite this article: P. Bousquet et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 346 (2008).     

Stabilized approximate solutions of the inverse time problem for a parabolic evolution equation

The set of all solutions of a composite fuzzy relation equation of Sanchez (Inform. and Control30 (1976)), defined on finite spaces, is studied by determining and characterizing all the lower solutions of such an equation.