Multiplicity Results for Asymptotically Linear Equations, Using the Rotation Number Approach

By using a topological approach and the relation between rotation numbers and weighted eigenvalues, we give some multiplicity results for the boundary value problem u′′ + f(t, u) = 0, u(0) = u(T) = 0, under suitable assumptions on f(t, x)/x at zero and infinity. Solutions are characterized by their nodal properties. Supported by MIUR, GNAMPA and FCT.     

On the existence of shock fronts for a Burgers equation with a singular source term

In this paper we consider the Cauchy problem for the equation ∂u/∂t + u ∂u/∂x + u/x = 0 for x > 0, t ⩾ 0, with u(x, 0) = u⁰₋(x) for x < x₀, u(x, 0) = u⁰₊(x) for x > x₀, u⁰₋(x₀) > u⁰₊(x₀). Following the ideas of Majda, 1984 and Lax, 1973, we construct, for smooth u⁰₋ and u⁰₊, a global shock front weak solution u(x, t) = u₋(x, t) for x < ϕ(t), u(x, t) = u₊(x, t) for x > ϕ(t), where u₋ and u₊ are the strong solutions corresponding (respectively) to u⁰₋ and u⁰₊ and the curve t → ϕ(t) is defined by dϕ/dt (t) = 1/2[u₋(ϕ(t), t) + u₊(ϕ(t), t)], t ⩾ 0 and ϕ(0) = x₀. © 1998 B. G. Teubner Stuttgart—John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Existence and Uniqueness of Strong Solutions for a Class of Quasi‐Linear Hyperbolic Equations with Order Degeneration

Let k(y) > 0, 𝓁(y) > 0 for y > 0, k(0) = 𝓁(0) = 0 and lim_{y → 0}k(y)/𝓁(y) exists; then the equation L(u) ≔ k(y)u_xx – ∂_y(𝓁(y)u_y) + a(x, y)u_x = f(x, y, u) is strictly hyperbolic for y > 0 and its order degenerates on the line y = 0. Consider the boundary value problem Lu = f(x, y, u) in G, u|_AC = 0, where G is a simply connected domain in ℝ² with piecewise smooth boundary ∂G = AB∪AC∪BC; AB = {(x, 0) : 0 ≤ x ≤ 1}, AC : x = F(y) = ∫^y₀(k(t)/𝓁(t))^1/2dt and BC : x = 1 – F(y) are characteristic curves. Existence of generalized solution is obtained by a finite element method, provided f(x, y, u) satisfies Carathéodory condition and |f(x, y, u)| ≤ Q(x, y) + b|u| with Q ∈ L²(G), b = const > 0. It is shown also that each generalized solution is a strong solution, and that fact is used to prove uniqueness under the additional assumption |f(x, y, u₁) – f(x, y, u₂| ≤ C|u₁ – u₂|, where C = const > 0.     

A global Newton method for the zeros of cylinder functions

The zeros of cylinder functions C _u (x)=cos α, J _u (x) - sin α, Y _u(x) coincide with those of the ratios H _u (x)=C _u (x)/C _u-1 (x) except, perhaps, at x = 0. We show monotonicity properties of H u(x) and f _u (x) = x ^2v-1 H u(x) and their derivatives for x > 0. We then build a Newton-Raphson iterative method based on the monotonic function f u(x) which is shown to be convergent, for any real values of u and α and any starting value x ₀ > 0, to an sth positive root c ,s of C _u (x) = 0, s being such that c _,s and x0 belong to the same interval (c _u-1 ,s', c _{u -1} ,s'+1]. We also show applications of the method. In particular, taking advantage of the fact that the ratio H _u (x) for first kind Bessel functions J u(x) can be evaluated by using a continued fraction, a very simple algorithm is built; it becomes especially efficient for low values of u and s and it allows the evaluation of the real zeros for arbitrary orders u, positive or negative. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Homogenization of Hamilton‐Jacobi‐Bellman equations with respect to time‐space shifts in a stationary ergodic medium

We consider a family {u_? (t, x, ω)}, ? < 0, of solutions to the equation ?u_?/?t + ?Δu_?/2 + H (t/?, x/?, ?u_?, ω) = 0 with the terminal data u_?(T, x, ω) = U(x). Assuming that the dependence of the Hamiltonian H(t, x, p, ω) on time and space is realized through shifts in a stationary ergodic random medium, and that H is convex in p and satisfies certain growth and regularity conditions, we show the almost sure locally uniform convergence, in time and space, of u_?(t, x, ω) as ? → 0 to the solution u(t, x) of a deterministic averaged equation ?u/?t + H?(?u) = 0, u(T, x) = U(x). The “effective” Hamiltonian H? is given by a variational formula. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Lie Symmetries of Inviscid Burgers’ Equation

The present paper solves completely the problem of the Lie group analysis of nonlinear equation u _t (x, t) + g(u)u _x (x, t) = 0, where g(u) is a smooth function of u. And apply these results on inviscid Burgers equation.     

Semigroup approach for identification of the unknown diffusion coefficient in a quasi‐linear parabolic equation

This article presents a semigroup approach for the mathematical analysis of the inverse coefficient problems of identifying the unknown coefficient k(u(x,t)) in the quasi‐linear parabolic equation u_t(x,t)=(k(u(x,t))u_x(x,t))_x, with Dirichlet boundary conditions u(0,t)=ψ₀, u(1,t)=ψ₁. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the distinguishability of the input–output mappings Φ[?]:?? →C¹[0,T], Ψ[?]:??→C¹[0,T] via semigroup theory. In this paper, it is shown that if the null space of the semigroup T(t) consists of only zero function, then the input–output mappings Φ[?] and Ψ[?] have the distinguishability property. It is also shown that the types of the boundary conditions and the region on which the problem is defined play an important role in the distinguishability property of these mappings. Moreover, under the light of measured output data (boundary observations) f(t):=k(u(0,t))u_x(0,t) or/and h(t):=k(u(1,t))u_x(1,t), the values k(ψ₀) and k(ψ₁) of the unknown diffusion coefficient k(u(x,t)) at (x,t)=(0,0) and (x,t)=(1,0), respectively, can be determined explicitly. In addition to these, the values k_u(ψ₀) and k_u(ψ₁) of the unknown coefficient k(u(x,t)) at (x,t)=(0,0) and (x,t)=(1,0), respectively, are also determined via the input data. Furthermore, it is shown that measured output data f(t) and h(t) can be determined analytically by an integral representation. Hence the input–output mappings Φ[?]:??→ C¹[0,T], Ψ[?]:??→C¹[0,T] are given explicitly in terms of the semigroup. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Instability of Nonmonotonic Wave Solutions of Parabolic Equations

We consider the class of equations u_t=f(u_xx, u_x, u) under the restriction that for all a,b,c. We first consider this equation over the unbounded domain ? ∞ < x < + ∞, and we show that very nearly every bounded nonmonotonic solution of the form u(t, x)=?(x?ct) is unstable to all nonnegative and all nonpositive perturbations. We then extend these results to nonmonotonic plane wave solutions u(t, x, y)=?(x?ct) of u_t = F(u_xx, u_xy, u_x, u_y, u). Finally, we consider the class of equations u_t=f(u_xx, u_x, u) over the bounded domain 0 < x < 1 with the boundary conditions u(t, x)=A at x=0 and u(t, x)=B at x=1, and we find the stability of all steady solutions u(t, x)=?(x).     

Nonlocal initial-boundary-value problems for a degenerate hyperbolic equation

We consider the equation y ^m u _xx − u _yy − b ² y ^m u = 0 in the rectangular area {(x, y) | 0 < x < 1, 0 < y < T}, where m < 0, b ≥ 0, T > 0 are given real numbers. For this equation we study problems with initial conditions u(x, 0) = τ(x), u _y (x, 0) = ν(x), 0 ≤ x ≤ 1, and nonlocal boundary conditions u(0, y) = u(1, y), u _x (0, y) = 0 or u _x (0, y) = u _x (1, y), u(1, y) = 0 with 0≤y≤T. Using the method of spectral analysis, we prove the uniqueness and existence theorems for solutions to these problems     

Action functional and quasi‐potential for the burgers equation in a bounded interval

Consider the viscous Burgers equation u_t + f(u)_x = εu_xx on the interval [0,1] with the inhomogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions u(t,0) = ρ₀, u(t,1) = ρ₁. The flux f is the function f(u) = u(1 − u), ε > 0 is the viscosity, and the boundary data satisfy 0 < ρ₀ < ρ₁ < 1. We examine the quasi‐potential corresponding to an action functional arising from nonequilibrium statistical mechanical models associated with the above equation. We provide a static variational formula for the quasi‐potential and characterize the optimal paths for the dynamical problem. In contrast with previous cases, for small enough viscosity, the variational problem defining the quasi‐potential admits more than one minimizer. This phenomenon is interpreted as a nonequilibrium phase transition and corresponds to points where the superdifferential of the quasi‐potential is not a singleton. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Boundedness in nonlinear oscillations

In this paper, the boundedness of all solutions of the nonlinear differential equation (φ_p(x′))′ + αφ_p(x⁺) – βφ_p(x^–) + f(x) = e(t) is studied, where φ_p(u) = |u|^p–2 u, p ≥ 2, α, β are positive constants such that = 2w^–1 with w ∈ ?⁺\?, f is a bounded C⁵ function, e(t) ∈ C⁶ is 2π_p‐periodic, x⁺ = max{x, 0}, x^– = max{–x, 0}. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Second‐order finite‐volume schemes for a non‐linear hyperbolic equation: error estimate

We study second‐order finite‐volume schemes for the non‐linear hyperbolic equation u_t(x, t) + div F(x, t, u(x, t)) = 0 with initial condition u₀. The main result is the error estimate between the approximate solution given by the scheme and the entropy solution. It is based on some stability properties verified by the scheme and on a discrete entropy inequality. If u₀ ∈ L^∞ ∩ BV_loc(ℝ^N), we get an error estimate of order h^1/4, where h defines the size of the mesh. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Problem with periodicity conditions for a degenerating equation of mixed type

For the equation K(t)u _xx + u _tt − b ² K(t)u = 0 in the rectangular domain D = “(x, t)‖ 0 < x < 1, −α < t < β”, where K(t) = (sgnt)|t| ^m , m > 0, and b > 0, α > 0, and β > 0 are given real numbers, we use the spectral method to obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for the unique solvability of the boundary value problem u(0, t) = u(1, t), u _x (0, t) = u _x (1, t), −α ≤ t ≤ β, u(x, β) = φ(x), u(x,−α) = ψ(x), 0 ≤ x ≤ 1.     

Global existence,asymptotic behaviour,and global non‐existence of solutions for damped non‐linear wave equations of Kirchhoff type in the whole space

We study the global existence, asymptotic behaviour, and global non‐existence (blow‐up) of solutions for the damped non‐linear wave equation of Kirchhoff type in the whole space: u_tt+u_t=(a+b∥∇u∥^2γ)Δu+∣u∣^αu in ℝ^N×ℝ₊ for a, b⩾0, a+b>0, γ⩾1, and α>0, with initial data u(x, 0)=u₀(x) and u_t(x, 0)=u₁(x). Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The conformal plate buckling equation

The linear equation Δ²u = 1 for the infinitesimal buckling under uniform unit load of a thin elastic plate over ?² has the particularly interesting nonlinear generalization Δ_g²u = 1, where Δ_g = e^?2u Δ is the Laplace‐Beltrami operator for the metric g = e^2ug₀, with g₀ the standard Euclidean metric on ?². This conformal elliptic PDE of fourth order is equivalent to the nonlinear system of elliptic PDEs of second order Δu(x)+K_g(x) exp(2u(x)) = 0 and Δ K_g(x) + exp(2u(x)) = 0, with x ∈ ?², describing a conformally flat surface with a Gauss curvature function K_g that is generated self‐consistently through the metric's conformal factor. We study this conformal plate buckling equation under the hypotheses of finite integral curvature ∫ K_g exp(2u)dx = κ, finite area ∫ exp(2u)dx = α, and the mild compactness condition K₊ ∈ L¹(B₁(y)), uniformly w.r.t. y ∈ ?². We show that asymptotically for |x|→∞ all solutions behave like u(x) = ?(κ/2π)ln |x| + C + o(1) and K(x) = ?(α/2π) ln|x| + C + o(1), with κ ∈ (2π, 4π) and . We also show that for each κ ∈ (2π, 4π) there exists a K^* and a radially symmetric solution pair u, K, satisfying K(u) = κ and maxK = K^*, which is unique modulo translation of the origin, and scaling of x coupled with a translation of u. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Regularization of a non-characteristic Cauchy problem for the heat equation

The non-characteristic Cauchy problem for the heat equation u_xx(x,t) = u₁(x,t), 0 ? x ? 1, ? ∞ < t < ∞, u(0,t) = φ(t), u_x(0, t) = ψ(t), ? ∞ < t < ∞ is regularizèd when approximate expressions for φ and ψ are given. Properties of the exact solution are used to obtain an explicit stability estimate.     

The zero dispersion limit of the korteweg-de vries equation for initial potentials with non-trivial reflection coefficient

The inverse scattering method is used to determine the distribution limit as ? → 0 of the solution u(x, t, ?) of the initial value problem. U_t ? 6uu_x + ?²u_xxx = 0, u(x, 0) = v(x), where v(x) is a positive bump which decays sufficiently fast as x x→±α. The case v(x) ? 0 has been solved by Peter D. Lax and C. David Levermore [8], [9], [10]. The computation of the distribution limit of u(x, t, ?) as ? → 0 is reduced to a quadratic maximization problem, which is then solved.     

Finite‐difference approximation for the u(k)‐derivative with O(hM−k+1) accuracy: An analytical expression

An approximation of function u(x) as a Taylor series expansion about a point x₀ at M points x_i, ～ i = 1,2,…,M is used where x_i are arbitrary‐spaced. This approximation is a linear system for the derivatives u^(k) with an arbitrary accuracy. An analytical expression for the inverse matrix A ^?1 where A = [A_ik] = (x_i ? x₀)^k is found. A finite‐difference approximation of derivatives u^(k) of a given function u(x) at point x₀ is derived in terms of the values u(x_i). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2006