Multiple constant sign and nodal solutions for nonlinear elliptic equations with the p-Laplacian

We consider a nonlinear elliptic equation driven by the p-Laplacian with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Using variational techniques combined with the method of upper-lower solutions and suitable truncation arguments, we establish the existence of at least five nontrivial solutions. Two positive, two negative and a nodal (sign-changing) solution. Our framework of analysis incorporates both coercive and p-superlinear problems. Also the result on multiple constant sign solutions incorporates the case of concave-convex nonlinearities.     

Multiple solutions for elliptic systems with nonlinearities of arbitrary growth

We prove the existence of infinitely many solutions for symmetric elliptic systems with nonlinearities of arbitrary growth. Moreover, if the symmetry of the problem is broken by a small enough perturbation term, we find at least three solutions. The proofs utilise a variational setting given by de Figueiredo and Ruf in order to prove an existence's result and the “algebraic” approach based on the Pohozaev's fibering method.     

Nonlinear Muckenhoupt–Wheeden type bounds on Reifenberg flat domains,with applications to quasilinear Riccati type equations

A weighted norm inequality of Muckenhoupt–Wheeden type is obtained for gradients of solutions to a class of quasilinear equations with measure data on Reifenberg flat domains. This essentially leads to a resolution of an existence problem for quasilinear Riccati type equations with a gradient source term of arbitrary power law growth.     

Characteristic decompositions and interactions of rarefaction waves of 2-D Euler equations

This paper is concerned with classical solutions to the interaction of two arbitrary planar rarefaction waves for the self-similar Euler equations in two space dimensions. We develop the direct approach, started in Chen and Zheng (in press) [3], to the problem to recover all the properties of the solutions obtained via the hodograph transformation of Li and Zheng (2009) [14]. The direct approach, as opposed to the hodograph transformation, is straightforward and avoids the common difficulties of the hodograph transformation associated with simple waves and boundaries. The approach is made up of various characteristic decompositions of the self-similar Euler equations for the speed of sound and inclination angles of characteristics.     

Gradient estimates for higher order elliptic equations on nonsmooth domains

We establish optimal gradient estimates in Orlicz space for a nonhomogeneous elliptic equation of higher order with discontinuous coefficients on a nonsmooth domain. Our assumption is that for each point and for each sufficiently small scale the coefficients have small mean oscillation and the boundary of the domain is sufficiently close to a hyperplane. As a consequence we prove the classical Wm,p, m=1,2,…, 1<p<∞, estimates for such a higher order equation. Our results easily extend to higher order elliptic and parabolic systems.     

Fourth-order parabolic equations with weak BMO coefficients in Reifenberg domains

We study optimal W2,p-regularity for fourth-order parabolic equations with discontinuous coefficients in general domains. We obtain the global W2,p-regularity for each 1<p<∞ under the assumption that the coefficients have suitably small BMO semi-norm of weak type and the boundary of the domain is δ-Reifenberg flat. The situation of our main theorem arises when the conductivity on fractals is controlled by a random variable in the time direction.     

Elliptic equations with BMO nonlinearity in Reifenberg domains

Given p∈[2,+∞), we obtain the global W1,p estimate for the weak solution of a boundary-value problem for an elliptic equation with BMO nonlinearity in a Reifenberg domain, assuming that the nonlinearity has sufficiently small BMO seminorm and that the boundary of the domain is sufficiently flat.     

A complete global solution to the pressure gradient equation

We study the domain of existence of a solution to a Riemann problem for the pressure gradient equation in two space dimensions. The Riemann problem is the expansion of a quadrant of gas of constant state into the other three vacuum quadrants. The global existence of a smooth solution was established in Dai and Zhang [Z. Dai, T. Zhang, Existence of a global smooth solution for a degenerate Goursat problem of gas dynamics, Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 155 (2000) 277-298] up to the free boundary of vacuum. We prove that the vacuum boundary is the coordinate axes.     

Global weighted estimates for quasilinear elliptic equations with non-standard growth

In this paper we obtain a new global gradient estimates in weighted Lorentz spaces for weak solutions of p(x)$p(x)$-Laplacian type equation with small BMO coefficients in a δ-Reifenberg flat domain. The modified Vitali covering lemma, the maximal function technique and the appropriate localization method are the main analytical tools. Our results improve the known results for such equations.     

Parabolic equations in time dependent Reifenberg domains

In this paper we define time dependent parabolic Reifenberg domains and study Lp estimates for weak solutions of uniformly parabolic equations in divergence form on these domains. The basic assumption is that the principal coefficients are of parabolic BMO space with small parabolic BMO seminorms. It is shown that Lp estimates hold for time dependent parabolic δ-Reifenberg domains.     

On the existence of three solutions for the Dirichlet problem on the Sierpinski gasket

We apply a recently obtained three-critical-point theorem of B. Ricceri to prove the existence of at least three solutions of certain two-parameter Dirichlet problems defined on the Sierpinski gasket. We also show the existence of at least three nonzero solutions of certain perturbed two-parameter Dirichlet problems on the Sierpinski gasket, using both the mountain pass theorem of Ambrosetti and Rabinowitz and that of Pucci and Serrin.     

Quasilinear asymptotically periodic Schrödinger equations with subcritical growth

In this article the existence of one solution for a class of asymptotically periodic equations in the euclidean space is established. The basic tools employed here are the Mountain Pass Theorem and the Concentration-Compactness Principle. By using a change of variable, the quasilinear equation is reduced to a semilinear equation, whose respective associated functional is well defined in H¹(R^N) and satisfies the geometric hypotheses of the Mountain Pass Theorem.     

Nonexistence of nonnegative solutions of elliptic systems of divergence type

In this paper we deal with noncoercive elliptic systems of divergence type, that include both the p-Laplacian and the mean curvature operator and whose right-hand sides depend also on a gradient factor. We prove that any nonnegative entire (weak) solution is necessarily constant. The main argument of our proofs is based on previous estimates, given in Filippucci (2009) [12] for elliptic inequalities. Actually, the main technique for proving the central estimate has been developed by Mitidieri and Pohozaev (2001) [23] and relies on the method of test functions. No use of comparison and maximum principles or assumptions on symmetry or behavior at infinity of the solutions are required.     

Elliptic systems with measurable coefficients of the type of Lamé system in three dimensions

We study the 3×3 elliptic systems ∇(a(x)∇×u)−∇(b(x)∇⋅u)=f, where the coefficients a(x) and b(x) are positive scalar functions that are measurable and bounded away from zero and infinity. We prove that weak solutions of the above system are Hölder continuous under some minimal conditions on the inhomogeneous term f. We also present some applications and discuss several related topics including estimates of the Green?s functions and the heat kernels of the above systems.     

A remark on entire solutions of quasilinear elliptic equations

By applying a main comparison theorem of Pucci and Serrin (2007) [2] we cover, for general equations of p-Laplace type, the open cases of Theorems B, D, E of Farina and Serrin (submitted for publication) [1] as described in Problems 2 and 3 of Section 12 of Farina and Serrin (submitted for publication) [1]. Moreover, we provide significant improvements of Theorem C and Theorem 5 of Farina and Serrin (submitted for publication) [1], the latter in the context of mean curvature type operators, see Theorem 1.3 and Theorems 5.2-5.4 below.Finally, Theorem 1.1 provides a new Liouville theorem outside the context of work in Farina and Serrin (submitted for publication) [1].     

Nonexistence of positive weak solutions of elliptic inequalities

In this paper we give sufficient conditions for the nonexistence of positive entire weak solutions of coercive and anticoercive elliptic inequalities, both of the p$p$-Laplacian and of the mean curvature type, depending also on u$u$ and x$x$ inside the divergence term, while a gradient factor is included on the right-hand side. In particular, to prove our theorems we use a technique developed by Mitidieri and Pohozaev in [E. Mitidieri, S.I. Pohozaev, A priori estimates and the absence of solutions of nonlinear partial differential equations and inequalities, Proc. Steklov Inst. Math., 234 (2001) 1–362], which relies on the method of test functions without using comparison and maximum principles. Their approach is essentially based first on a priori estimates and on the derivation of an asymptotics for the a priori estimate. Finally nonexistence of a solution is proved by contradiction.     

Removable singularity of the polyharmonic equation

Let x₀∈Ω⊂Rⁿ, n≥2, be a domain and let m≥2. We will prove that a solution u of the polyharmonic equation Δ^mu=0 in Ω?{x₀} has a removable singularity at x₀ if and only if as |x−x₀|→0 for n≥3 and as |x−x₀|→0 for n=2. For m≥2 we will also prove that u has a removable singularity at x₀ if |u(x)|=o(|x−x₀|^2m−n) as |x−x₀|→0 for n≥3 and |u(x)|=o(|x−x₀|^2m−2log(|x−x₀|⁻¹)) as |x−x₀|→0 for n=2.     

Existence of weak solutions for steady viscous fluids with general slip boundary conditions

We study the existence of weak solutions for stationary viscous fluids with general slip boundary conditions in this paper. Applying monotone operator theory, we first establish the existence result of weak solutions for an approximation problem. Then using the compactness methods and the point-wise convergence property of velocity gradients, we get the desired results.     

On a frequency function approach to the unique continuation principle

In this survey we discuss the frequency function method so as to study the problem of unique continuation for elliptic partial differential equations. The methods used in the note were mainly introduced by Garofalo and Lin.