On Γ-convergence of pairs of dual functionals

The paper considers a slightly modified notion of the Γ-convergence of convex functionals in uniformly convex Banach spaces and establishes that under standard coercitivity and growth conditions the Γ-convergence of a sequence of functionals {Fj} to implies that the corresponding sequence of dual functionals converges in an analogous sense to the dual to functional .     

A quasistatic evolution model for perfectly plastic plates derived by Γ-convergence

The subject of this paper is the rigorous derivation of a quasistatic evolution model for a linearly elastic–perfectly plastic thin plate. As the thickness of the plate tends to zero, we prove via Γ-convergence techniques that solutions to the three-dimensional quasistatic evolution problem of Prandtl–Reuss elastoplasticity converge to a quasistatic evolution of a suitable reduced model. In this limiting model the admissible displacements are of Kirchhoff–Love type and the stretching and bending components of the stress are coupled through a plastic flow rule. Some equivalent formulations of the limiting problem in rate form are derived, together with some two-dimensional characterizations for suitable choices of the data.     

A geometric Ginzburg–Landau problem

For surfaces embedded in a three-dimensional Euclidean space, consider a functional consisting of two terms: a version of the Willmore energy and an anisotropic area penalising the first component of the normal vector, the latter weighted with the factor ${1/\epsilon^2}$ . The asymptotic behaviour of such functionals as ${\epsilon}$ tends to 0 is studied in this paper. The results include a lower and an upper bound on the minimal energy subject to suitable constraints. Moreover, for embedded spheres, a compactness result is obtained under appropriate energy bounds.     

On the convergence of finite state mean-field games through Γ-convergence

In this study, we consider the long-term convergence (trend toward an equilibrium) of finite state mean-field games using Γ-convergence. Our techniques are based on the observation that an important class of mean-field games can be viewed as the Euler–Lagrange equation of a suitable functional. Therefore, using a scaling argument, one can convert a long-term convergence problem into a Γ-convergence problem. Our results generalize previous results related to long-term convergence for finite state problems.     

Ginzburg–Landau equations and their generalizations

The Ginzburg–Landau equations were proposed in the superconductivity theory to describe mathematically the intermediate state of superconductors in which the normal conductivity is mixed with the superconductivity. It turned out that these equations have interesting and non-trivial generalizations. First of all, they can be extended to arbitrary compact Riemann surfaces. Next, they can be generalized to dimension 3 as dynamical (or hyperbolic) Ginzburg–Landau equations. They also have a 4-dimensional extension provided by Seiberg–Witten equations. In this review we describe all these interesting topics together with some unsolved problems.     

Singularity analysis of Ginzburg–Landau energy related to p-wave superconductivity

The following Ginzburg–Landau energy in the absence of a magnetic field $$E_\varepsilon(\psi) = \int\limits_G\left[\frac{1}{2}|\nabla\psi|^2 + \frac{1}{4\varepsilon^2}(1-|\psi|^2)^2\right]{\rm d}x$$ was well studied during recent twenty years. Here, ${G \subset \mathbf{R}^2}$ is a bounded smooth domain, ${\psi}$ is an order parameter, ${\varepsilon >0 }$ . In particular, several global properties including the weighted energy estimation, the concentration compactness properties and the quantization effect of the energy had been established. This paper is concerned with another Ginzburg–Landau type free energy associated with p-wave superconductivity $$E_\varepsilon (\psi, u; G) = \frac{1}{2} \int\limits_G(|\nabla \psi|^2 + |\nabla u|^2 - |\nabla|\psi||^2){\rm d}x + \frac{1}{4\varepsilon^2} \int\limits_G(1-|\psi|^2)^2{\rm d}x.$$ Here, u is also an order parameter. We will prove that those global properties still hold for this more complicated energy functional. Such global properties describe the locations of the regular and the singular domains, and also show the convergence relation between the Ginzburg–Landau minimizers and the harmonic maps.     

Linear elasticity obtained from finite elasticity by Γ-convergence under weak coerciveness conditions

The energy functional of linear elasticity is obtained as Γ  -limit of suitable rescalings of the energies of finite elasticity. The quadratic control from below of the energy density W(∇v)$W(\mathrm{\nabla }v)$ for large values of the deformation gradient ∇v   is replaced here by the weaker condition W(∇v)?|∇v|^p$W(\mathrm{\nabla }v)?{|\mathrm{\nabla }v|}^p$, for some p>1$p>1$. Energies of this type are commonly used in the study of a large class of compressible rubber-like materials.     

A product estimate for Ginzburg–Landau and application to the gradient-flow

We prove a new inequality for the Jacobian (or vorticity) associated to the Ginzburg–Landau energy in any dimension, and give static and dynamical corollaries. We then present a method to prove convergence of gradient-flows of families of energies which Gamma-converge to a limiting energy, which we apply to establish, thanks to the previous dynamical estimate, the limiting dynamical law of a finite number of vortices for the heat-flow of Ginzburg–Landau in dimension 2, with and without magnetic field. To cite this article: E. Sandier, S. Serfaty, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 336 (2003).     

A Finite-difference Solution of the Ginzburg–Landau Equation

Two finite-difference methods, which differ only in the way that they approximate the derivative boundary conditions, are developed for solving a particular form of the complex Ginzburg–Landau equation of superconductivity. The non-linear term in this equation is linearized in a way familiar to readers of Professor Mickens' work, and the numerical solution is obtained at each time step by solving a linear algebraic system. Consistency and stability are discussed and some numerical results are reported.