Lipschitz compact operators

We introduce the notion of Lipschitz compact (weakly compact, finite-rank, approximable) operators from a pointed metric space X into a Banach space E. We prove that every strongly Lipschitz p-nuclear operator is Lipschitz compact and every strongly Lipschitz p-integral operator is Lipschitz weakly compact. A theory of Lipschitz compact (weakly compact, finite-rank) operators which closely parallels the theory for linear operators is developed. In terms of the Lipschitz transpose map of a Lipschitz operator, we state Lipschitz versions of Schauder type theorems on the (weak) compactness of the adjoint of a (weakly) compact linear operator.     

Positive solutions for nonlinear hemivariational inequalities

In this paper we study the existence of positive solutions for nonlinear problems driven by the p-Laplacian or more generally, by multivalued p-Laplacian-like operators. Both problems have a nonsmooth locally Lipschitz potential (hemivariational inequalities). Using variational methods based on the nonsmooth critical point theory, we prove two existence results with the p-Laplacian and multivalued p-Laplacian-like operators.     

An existence result for elliptic equations with VMO-coefficients

In this paper we prove an existence and uniqueness theorem for the Dirichlet problem for linear elliptic equations (in unbounded domains) whose leading coefficients are locally VMO and satisfy a suitable condition at infinity.     

Duality for Lipschitz p-summing operators

Building upon the ideas of R. Arens and J. Eells (1956) [1] we introduce the concept of spaces of Banach-space-valued molecules, whose duals can be naturally identified with spaces of operators between a metric space and a Banach space. On these spaces we define analogues of the tensor norms of Chevet (1969) [3] and Saphar (1970) [14], whose duals are spaces of Lipschitz p-summing operators. In particular, we identify the dual of the space of Lipschitz p-summing operators from a finite metric space to a Banach space — answering a question of J. Farmer and W.B. Johnson (2009) [6] — and use it to give a new characterization of the non-linear concept of Lipschitz p-summing operator between metric spaces in terms of linear operators between certain Banach spaces. More generally, we define analogues of the norms of J.T. Lapresté (1976) [11], whose duals are analogues of A. Pietsch?s (p,r,s)-summing operators (A. Pietsch, 1980 [12]). As a special case, we get a Lipschitz version of (q,p)-dominated operators.     

Generalization of unfolding operator for highly oscillating smooth boundary domains and homogenization

Unfolding operators have been introduced and used to study homogenization problems. Initially, they were introduced for problems with rapidly oscillating coefficients and porous domains. Later, this has been developed for domains with oscillating boundaries, typically with rectangular or pillar type boundaries which are classified as non-smooth. In this article, we develop new unfolding operators, where the oscillations can be smooth and hence they have wider applications. We have demonstrated by developing unfolding operators for circular domains with rapid oscillations with high amplitude of O(1) to study the homogenization of an elliptic problem.     

Single phase problem with curvature for a class of fully nonlinear elliptic operators

We prove regularity of Lipschitz free boundaries of one phase problems for fully nonlinear elliptic operators where the mean curvature appears in the free boundary condition.      

Gradient estimates via linear and nonlinear potentials

We prove new potential and nonlinear potential pointwise gradient estimates for solutions to measure data problems, involving possibly degenerate quasilinear operators whose prototype is given by −Δpu=μ. In particular, no matter the nonlinearity of the equations considered, we show that in the case p?2 a pointwise gradient estimate is possible using standard, linear Riesz potentials. The proof is based on the identification of a natural quantity that on one hand respects the natural scaling of the problem, and on the other allows to encode the weaker coercivity properties of the operators considered, in the case p?2. In the case p>2 we prove a new gradient estimate employing nonlinear potentials of Wolff type.     

Two‐Phase Free Boundary Problems for Parabolic Operators: Smoothness of the Front

We continue to develop the regularity theory of general two‐phase free boundary problems for parabolic operators. In a 2010 paper, we establish the optimal (Lipschitz) regularity of a viscosity solution under the assumptions that the free boundary is locally a flat Lipschitz graph and a nondegeneracy condition holds. Here, on one side we improve this result by removing the nondegeneracy assumption; on the other side we prove the smoothness of the front. The proof relies in a crucial way on a local stability result stating that, for a certain class of operators, under small perturbations of the coefficients flat free boundaries remain close and flat. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Integral-type operators on continuous function spaces on the real line

In this paper we introduce some new sequences of positive linear operators, acting on a sufficiently large space of continuous functions on the real line, which generalize Gauss–Weierstrass operators.We study their approximation properties and prove an asymptotic formula that relates such operators to a second order elliptic differential operator of the form Lu?αu^′′+βu^′+γu.Shape-preserving and regularity properties are also investigated.     

Bernstein-type techniques for 2D free boundary graphs

We prove an a priori bound for the Lipschitz constant of a smooth one-phase free boundary graph F(u) in two dimensions. The function u satisfies an elliptic equation in its positive side, and on F(u).     

Solvability of nonlinear variational-hemivariational inequalities

In this paper we study nonlinear elliptic differential equations driven by the p-Laplacian with unilateral constraints produced by the combined effects of a monotone term and of a nonmonotone term (variational-hemivariational inequality). Our approach is variational and uses the subdifferential theory of nonsmooth functions and the theory of accretive and monotone operators. Also using these ideas and a special choice of the monotone term, we prove the existence of a strictly positive smooth solution for a class of nonlinear equations with nonsmooth potential (hemivariational inequality).     

Linear Elliptic Boundary Value Problems with Non‐Smooth Data: Campanato Spaces of Functionals

In this paper linear elliptic boundary value problems of second order with non‐smooth data L^∞‐coefficients, sets with Lipschitz boundary, regular sets, non‐homogeneous mixed boundary conditions) are considered. It will be shown that such boundary value problems generate isomorphisms between certain Sobolev‐Campanato spaces of functions and functionals, respectively.     

Fully nonlinear singularly perturbed equations and asymptotic free boundaries

In this paper we study one-phase fully nonlinear singularly perturbed elliptic problems with high energy activation potentials, ζε(u) with ζε→δ₀⋅∫ζ. We establish uniform and optimal gradient estimates of solutions and prove that minimal solutions are non-degenerated. For problems governed by concave equations, we establish uniform weak geometric properties of approximating level surfaces. We also provide a thorough analysis of the free boundary problem obtained as a limit as the ε-parameter term goes to zero. We find the precise jumping condition of limiting solutions through the phase transition, which involves a subtle homogenization process of the governing fully nonlinear operator. In particular, for rotational invariant operators, F(D²u), we show the normal derivative of limiting function is constant along the interface. Smoothness properties of the free boundary are also addressed.     

A Two-Phase Parabolic Free Boundary Problem with Coefficients Below the Lipschitz Threshold

We study the regularity of a parabolic free boundary problem of two-phase type with coefficients below the Lipschitz threshold. For the Lipschitz coefficient case one can apply a monotonicity formula to prove the optimal ${C_x^{1,1}\cap C_t^{0,1}}$ -regularity of the solution and that the free boundary is, near the so-called branching points, the union of two graphs that are Lipschitz in time and C ¹ in space. In our case, the same monotonicity formula does not apply in the same way. Instead we use scaling arguments similar to the ones used for the elliptic case in Edquist et al. (Ann Inst Henri Poincareé, Anal Non Linéaire 26(6):2359?C2372, 2009) to prove the optimal regularity. However, whenever the spatial gradient does not vanish on the free boundary, we are in the parabolic setting faced with some extra difficulties, that forces us to strain our assumptions slightly.     

An optimization problem with volume constraint for a degenerate quasilinear operator

We consider the optimization problem of minimizing with a constraint on the volume of {u>0}. We consider a penalization problem, and we prove that for small values of the penalization parameter, the constrained volume is attained. In this way we prove that every solution u is locally Lipschitz continuous and that the free boundary, ∂{u>0}∩Ω, is smooth.     

Faber-Krahn Inequality for Anisotropic Eigenvalue Problems with Robin Boundary Conditions

In this paper we study the main properties of the first eigenvalue λ ₁(Ω) and its eigenfunctions of a class of highly nonlinear elliptic operators in a bounded Lipschitz domain Ω ? ? _n , assuming a Robin boundary condition. Moreover, we prove a Faber-Krahn inequality for λ ₁(Ω).     

An Existence Theorem for Wave‐Type Hyperbolic Hemivariational Inequalities

In this paper we prove the existence of solutions for a hyperbolic hemivariationalinequality of the form u″ + Bu + ∂j (u) ∋ f where B is a linear elliptic operator and ∂j is the Clarke subdifferential of a locally Lipschitz function j. Our result is based on the parabolic regularization method.     

Regularity of Lipschitz free boundaries in two-phase problems for the p-Laplace operator

In this paper we study the regularity of the free boundary in a general two-phase free boundary problem for the p-Laplace operator and we prove, in particular, that Lipschitz free boundaries are C1,γ-smooth for some γ∈(0,1). As part of our argument, and which is of independent interest, we establish a Hopf boundary type principle for non-negative p-harmonic functions vanishing on a portion of the boundary of a Lipschitz domain.     

Maximum principles for weak solutions of degenerate elliptic equations with a uniformly elliptic direction

For second order linear equations and inequalities which are degenerate elliptic but which possess a uniformly elliptic direction, we formulate and prove weak maximum principles which are compatible with a solvability theory in suitably weighted versions of L²-based Sobolev spaces. The operators are not necessarily in divergence form, have terms of lower order, and have low regularity assumptions on the coefficients. The needed weighted Sobolev spaces are, in general, anisotropic spaces defined by a non-negative continuous matrix weight. As preparation, we prove a Poincaré inequality with respect to such matrix weights and analyze the elementary properties of the weighted spaces. Comparisons to known results and examples of operators which are elliptic away from a hyperplane of arbitrary codimension are given. Finally, in the important special case of operators whose principal part is of Grushin type, we apply these results to obtain some spectral theory results such as the existence of a principal eigenvalue.     

REGULARITY OF THE FREE BOUNDARY FOR SOME ELLIPTIC AND PARABOLIC PROBLEMS. I

We study the free boundary of solutions to some obstacle problems in the elliptic and parabolic cases. In the one-phase Stefan problem, the parabolic case, we prove that the points where the zero set has no density lie in a Lipschitz surface in space and time.

For some fully nonlinear elliptic equations of second order, we get similar results.

Furthermore, we prove the C ¹ regularity for singular points with some (n ? 1)-dimensional density.