Effect of numerical integration for elliptic obstacle problems

Summary. An elliptic obstacle problem is approximated by piecewise linear finite elements with numerical integration on the penalty and forcing terms. This leads to diagonal nonlinearities and thereby to a practical scheme. Optimal error estimates in the maximum norm are derived. The proof is based on constructing suitable super and subsolutions that exploit the special structure of the penalization, and using quite precise pointwise error estimates for an associated linear elliptic problem with quadrature via the discrete maximum principle. Received March 19, 1993     

Simplicity of principal eigenvalue for p-Laplace operator with singular indefinite weight

Given a connected open set and a function w ∈L^N/p(Ω) if 1 < p < N and w ∈L^r (Ω) for some r ∈(1, ∞) if p ≧ N, with we prove that the positive principal eigenvalue of the problem

Homogenization and localization for a 1-D eigenvalue problem in a periodic medium with an interface

In one space dimension we address the homogenization of the spectral problem for a singularly perturbed diffusion equation in a periodic medium. Denoting by ε the period, the diffusion coefficient is scaled as ε². The domain is made of two purely periodic media separated by an interface. Depending on the connection between the two cell spectral equations, three different situations arise when ε goes to zero. First, there is a global homogenized problem as in the case without an interface. Second, the limit is made of two homogenized problems with a Dirichlet boundary condition on the interface. Third, there is an exponential localization near the interface of the first eigenfunction. Received: January 10, 2001; in final form: July 9, 2001?Published online: June 11, 2002     

A cascadic multigrid algorithm for semilinear elliptic problems

Summary. We propose a cascadic multigrid algorithm for a semilinear elliptic problem. The nonlinear equations arising from linear finite element discretizations are solved by Newton's method. Given an approximate solution on the coarsest grid on each finer grid we perform exactly one Newton step taking the approximate solution from the previous grid as initial guess. The Newton systems are solved iteratively by an appropriate smoothing method. We prove that the algorithm yields an approximate solution within the discretization error on the finest grid provided that the start approximation is sufficiently accurate and that the initial grid size is sufficiently small. Moreover, we show that the method has multigrid complexity. Received February 12, 1998 / Revised version received July 22, 1999 / Published online June 8, 2000     

Analyticity of solutions for semilinear elliptic systems of second order

This paper deals with systems , , where the right hand side is a -valued, real analytic function. We prove that a solution of such a system can be continued across a straight line segment , if one prescribe certain nonlinear, mixed boundary conditions on , which are assumed to be real analytic too. This continuation will be constructed by solving certain hyperbolic initial boundary value problems, generalizing an idea of H. Lewy. We apply this result to surfaces of prescribed mean curvature and to minimal surfaces in Riemannian manifolds spanned into a regular Jordan curve : Supposing analyticity of all data, we show that both types of surfaces can be continued across . Received: 29 December 2000 / Accepted: 11 July 2001 / Published online: 29 April 2002     

Sign changing solutions of semilinear elliptic problems in exterior domains

We prove the existence of a sign changing solution to the semilinear elliptic problem , in an exterior domain Ω having finite symmetries.     

Nonlinear elliptic equations with natural growth in general domains

We prove the existence of solutions of nonlinear elliptic equations with first-order terms having “natural growth” with respect to the gradient. The assumptions on the source terms lead to the existence of possibly unbounded solutions (though with exponential integrability). The domain Ω is allowed to have infinite Lebesgue measure. Received: April 13, 2001; in final form: September 29, 2001?Published online: July 9, 2002     

Monotone multigrid methods for elliptic variational inequalities II

Summary. We derive globally convergent multigrid methods for discrete elliptic variational inequalities of the second kind as obtained from the approximation of related continuous problems by piecewise linear finite elements. The coarse grid corrections are computed from certain obstacle problems. The actual constraints are fixed by the preceding nonlinear fine grid smoothing. This new approach allows the implementation as a classical V-cycle and preserves the usual multigrid efficiency. We give estimates for the asymptotic convergence rates. The numerical results indicate a significant improvement as compared with previous multigrid approaches. Received March 26, 1994 / Revised version received September 22, 1994     

Isoperimetric estimates for the first eigenfunction of a class of linear elliptic problems

We find some optimal estimates for the first eigenfunction of a class of elliptic equations whose prototype is with Dirichlet boundary condition, where γ is the normalized Gaussian function in . To this aim we make use of the Gaussian symmetrization which transforms a domain into an half-space with the same Gaussian measure. The main tools we use are the properties of the weighted rearrangements and in particular the isoperimetric inequality with respect to Gaussian measure. Partially supported by GMAMPA - INDAM, Progetto “Proprietà analitico geometriche di soluzioni di equazioni ellittiche e paraboliche”.     

Four versus two solutions of semilinear elliptic boundary value problems

This paper concerns the existence of four (or six) solutions of semilinear elliptic boundary value problems provided that two disorderly solutions are known. The results are obtained under very generic conditions. Received: 26 August 2000 / Accepted: 23 February 2001 / Published online: 23 July 2001     

Bifurcation problems for superlinear elliptic indefinite equations with exponential growth

This paper deals with the existence and the behaviour of global connected branches of positive solutions of the problem

Zero sets of solutions to semilinear elliptic systems of first order

Consider a nontrivial smooth solution to a semilinear elliptic system of first order with smooth coefficients defined over an n-dimensional manifold. Assume the operator has the strong unique continuation property. We show that the zero set of the solution is contained in a countable union of smooth (n−2)-dimensional submanifolds. Hence it is countably (n−2)-rectifiable and its Hausdorff dimension is at most n−2. Moreover, it has locally finite (n−2)-dimensional Hausdorff measure. We show by example that every real number between 0 and n−2 actually occurs as the Hausdorff dimension (for a suitable choice of operator). We also derive results for scalar elliptic equations of second order. Oblatum 22-V-1998 & 26-III-1999 / Published online: 10 June 1999     

Twodimensional anisotropic variational problems

We consider local minimizers a domain in , of the variational integral with integrand f of upper (lower) growth rate q (s). We show using a lemma due to Frehse and Seregin that u has H?lder continuous first derivatives provided that . Received: 2 October 2001 / Accepted: 25 October 2001 / Published online: 28 February 2002     

Stability and multiplicity of solutions for the thermistor problem

The stability of the stationary solution of the thermistor as a circuit element is studied using a Liapunov functional and the Hale–LaSalle invariance principle. The asymptotic stability of a class of periodic solutions is also considered. Received: November 22, 1999; in final form: May 23, 2001?Published online: May 29, 2002     

On the locking phenomenon for a class of elliptic problems

Summary. In this paper we study the numerical behaviour of elliptic problems in which a small parameter is involved and an example concerning the computation of elastic arches is analyzed using this mathematical framework. At first, the statements of the problem and its Galerkin approximations are defined and an asymptotic analysis is performed. Then we give general conditions ensuring that a numerical scheme will converge uniformly with respect to the small parameter. Finally we study an example in computation of arches working in linear elasticity conditions. We build one finite element scheme giving a locking behaviour, and another one which does not. Revised version received October 25, 1993     

Boundary regularity for nonlinear elliptic systems

We consider questions of boundary regularity for solutions of certain systems of second-order nonlinear elliptic equations. We obtain a general criterion for a weak solution to be regular in the neighbourhood of a given boundary point. The proof yields directly the optimal regularity for the solution in this neighbourhood. This result is new for the situation under consideration (general nonlinear second order systems in divergence form, with inhomogeneity obeying the natural growth conditions). Received: 6 July 2001 / Accepted: 27 September 2001 / Published online: 28 February 2002     

Remarks on the uniqueness of comparable renormalized solutions of elliptic equations with measure data

We give a partial uniqueness result concerning comparable renormalized solutions of the nonlinear elliptic problem -div(a(x,Du))=μ in Ω, u=0 on ∂Ω, where μ is a Radon measure with bounded variation on Ω. Received: December 27, 2000 Published online: December 19, 2001     

Perturbation from symmetry for indefinite semilinear elliptic equations

We prove the existence of an unbounded sequence of solutions for an elliptic equation of the form \({-\Delta u=\lambda u + a(x)g(u)+f(x), u\in H^1_0(\Omega)}\), where \({\lambda \in \mathbb{R}, g(\cdot)}\) is subcritical and superlinear at infinity, and a(x) changes sign in Ω; moreover, g( ? s) =  ? g(s) \({\forall s}\). The proof uses Rabinowitz’s perturbation method applied to a suitably truncated problem; subsequent energy and Morse index estimates allow us to recover the original problem. We consider the case of \({\Omega\subset \mathbb{R}^N}\) bounded as well as \({\Omega=\mathbb{R}^N, \, N\geqslant 3}\).