Maximum principles and isoperimetric inequalities for some Monge–Ampère-type problems

In this note we derive a maximum principle for an appropriate functional combination of u(x)$u(\mathbf{x})$ and |∇u|²${|\mathrm{\nabla }u|}^2$, where u(x)$u(\mathbf{x})$ is a strictly convex classical solution to a general class of Monge–Ampère equations. This maximum principle is then employed to establish some isoperimetric inequalities of interest in the theory of surfaces of constant Gauss curvature in R^N+1${\mathbb{R}}^{N+1}$.     

On radial solutions of certain semi-linear elliptic equations

We consider the semi-linear elliptic equation Δu+f(x,u)+g(|x|)x·∇u=0$\mathrm{\Delta }u+f(x,u)+g(|x|)x·\nabla u=0$, in some exterior region of Rⁿ,n?3${\mathbb{R}}^n,n?3$. It is shown that if f$f$ depends radially on its first argument and is nonincreasing in its second, boundary conditions force the unique solution to be radial. Under different conditions, we prove the existence of a positive radial asymptotic solution to the same equation.     

Concentration and multiplicity of solutions for a fourth-order equation with critical nonlinearity

In this paper, we consider the problem (_Pε)$(P_{\epsilon })$ : Δ²u=u^n+4/n-4+εu,u>0${\mathrm{\Delta }}^{2}u=u^{n+4/n-4}+\epsilon u,u>0$ in Ω,u=Δu=0$\Omega ,u=\mathrm{\Delta }u=0$ on ∂Ω$\mathrm{\partial }\Omega$, where Ω$\Omega$ is a bounded and smooth domain in Rⁿ,n>8${\mathbb{R}}^n,n>8$ and ε>0$\epsilon >0$. We analyze the asymptotic behavior of solutions of (_Pε)$(P_{\epsilon })$ which are minimizing for the Sobolev inequality as ε→0$\epsilon \to 0$ and we prove existence of solutions to (_Pε)$(P_{\epsilon })$ which blow up and concentrate around a critical point of the Robin's function. Finally, we show that for ε$\epsilon$ small, (_Pε)$(P_{\epsilon })$ has at least as many solutions as the Ljusternik–Schnirelman category of Ω$\Omega$.     

On a multi-dimensional transport equation with nonlocal velocity

We study a multi-dimensional nonlocal active scalar equation of the form _ut+v⋅∇u=0$u_t+v\cdot \mathrm{\nabla }u=0$ in R⁺×R^d${\mathbb{R}}^{+}\times {\mathbb{R}}^d$, where v=Λ^−2+α∇u$v={\Lambda }^{-2+\alpha }\mathrm{\nabla }u$ with Λ=(−Δ)^1/2$\Lambda ={(-\mathrm{\Delta })}^{1/2}$. We show that when α∈(0,2]$\alpha \in (0,2]$ certain radial solutions develop gradient blowup in finite time. In the case when α=0$\alpha =0$, the equations are globally well-posed with arbitrary initial data in suitable Sobolev spaces.     

Multiplicity of layered solutions for Allen–Cahn systems with symmetric double well potential

We study the existence of solutions u:R³→R²$u:{\mathbb{R}}^3\to {\mathbb{R}}^2$ for the semilinear elliptic systems

equation(0.1)

−Δu(x,y,z)+∇W(u(x,y,z))=0,$-\mathrm{\Delta }u(x,y,z)+\mathrm{\nabla }W(u(x,y,z))=0,$

where W:R²→R$W:{\mathbb{R}}^2\to \mathbb{R}$ is a double well symmetric potential. We use variational methods to show, under generic non-degenerate properties of the set of one dimensional heteroclinic connections between the two minima _a±${\mathbf{a}}_{\pm }$ of W, that (0.1) has infinitely many geometrically distinct solutions u∈C²(R³,R²)$u\in C^2({\mathbb{R}}^3,{\mathbb{R}}^2)$ which satisfy u(x,y,z)→_a±$u(x,y,z)\to {\mathbf{a}}_{\pm }$ as x→±∞$x\to \pm \infty$ uniformly with respect to (y,z)∈R²$(y,z)\in {\mathbb{R}}^2$ and which exhibit dihedral symmetries with respect to the variables y and z  . We also characterize the asymptotic behavior of these solutions as |(y,z)|→+∞$|(y,z)|\to +\infty$.     

Best constants in a borderline case of second-order Moser type inequalities

We study optimal embeddings for the space of functions whose Laplacian Δu   belongs to L¹(Ω)$L^1(\Omega )$, where Ω⊂RN$\Omega \subset {\mathbb{R}}^N$ is a bounded domain. This function space turns out to be strictly larger than the Sobolev space W2,1(Ω)$W^{2,1}(\Omega )$ in which the whole set of second-order derivatives is considered. In particular, in the limiting Sobolev case, when N=2$N=2$, we establish a sharp embedding inequality into the Zygmund space Lexp(Ω)$L_{\mathit{exp}}(\Omega )$. On one hand, this result enables us to improve the Brezis–Merle (Brezis and Merle (1991) [13]) regularity estimate for the Dirichlet problem Δu=f(x)∈L¹(Ω)$\mathrm{\Delta }u=f(x)\in L^1(\Omega )$, u=0$u=0$ on ∂Ω; on the other hand, it represents a borderline case of D.R. Adams' (1988) [1] generalization of Trudinger–Moser type inequalities to the case of higher-order derivatives. Extensions to dimension N?3$N?3$ are also given. Besides, we show how the best constants in the embedding inequalities change under different boundary conditions.     

Global solutions with shock waves to the generalized Riemann problem for a class of quasilinear hyperbolic systems of balance laws

It is proven that the generalized Riemann problem for a class of quasilinear hyperbolic systems of balance laws admits a unique global piecewise C¹$C^1$ solution u=u(t,x)$u=u(t,x)$ containing only n$n$ shock waves with small amplitude on t?0$t?0$ and this solution possesses a global structure similar to that of the similarity solution u=U(x/t)$u=U(x/t)$ of the corresponding homogeneous Riemann problem. As an application of our result, we prove the existence of global shock solutions, piecewise continuous and piecewise smooth solution with shock discontinuities, of the flow equations of a model class of fluids with viscosity induced by fading memory with a single jump initial data.     

A semilinear elliptic problem on unbounded domains with reverse penalty

In the well-known work of P.-L. Lions [The concentration–compactness principle in the calculus of variations, The locally compact case, part 1. Ann. Inst. H. Poincaré, Analyse Non Linéaire 1 (1984) 109–1453] existence of positive solutions to the equation -Δu+u=b(x)u^p-1$-\mathrm{\Delta }u+u=b(x)u^{p-1}$, u>0$u>0$, u∈H¹(R^N)$u\in H^1({\mathbb{R}}^N)$, p∈(2,2N/(N-2))$p\in (2,2N/(N-2))$ was proved under assumption b(x)?_b∞?_lim|x|→∞b(x)$b(x)?b_{\infty }?{\lim }_{\left|x\right|\to \infty }b(x)$. In this paper we prove the existence for certain functions b   satisfying the reverse inequality b(x)<_b∞$b(x)<b_{\infty }$. For any periodic lattice L   in R^N${\mathbb{R}}^N$ and for any b∈C(R^N)$b\in C({\mathbb{R}}^N)$ satisfying b(x)<_b∞$b(x)<b_{\infty }$, _b∞>0$b_{\infty }>0$, there is a finite set Y⊂L$Y\subset L$ and a convex combination b^Y$b^Y$ of b(·-y)$b(·-y)$, y∈Y$y\in Y$, such that the problem -Δu+u=b^Y(x)u^p-1$-\mathrm{\Delta }u+u=b^Y(x)u^{p-1}$ has a positive solution u∈H¹(R^N)$u\in H^1({\mathbb{R}}^N)$.     

Quasilinear Lane–Emden equations with absorption and measure data

We study the existence of solutions to the equation −_Δpu+g(x,u)=μ$-{\mathrm{\Delta }}_{p}u+g(x,u)=\mu$ when g(x,.)$g(x,.)$ is a nondecreasing function and μ   a measure. We characterize the good measures, i.e. the ones for which the problem has a renormalized solution. We study particularly the cases where g(x,u)=|x|^−β|u|^q−1u$g(x,u)={|x|}^{-\beta }{|u|}^{q-1}u$ and g(x,u)=sgn(u)(e^τ|u|λ−1)$g(x,u)=\mathrm{sgn}(u)(e^{\tau {|u|}^{\lambda }}-1)$. The results state that a measure is good if it is absolutely continuous with respect to an appropriate Lorentz–Bessel capacities.     

Liouville results for m-Laplace equations of Lane–Emden–Fowler type

We consider sign changing solutions of the equation −Δm(u)=|u|^p−1u$-{\mathrm{\Delta }}_m(u)={|u|}^{p-1}u$ in possibly unbounded domains or in RN${\mathbb{R}}^N$. We prove Liouville type theorems for stable solutions or for solutions which are stable outside a compact set. The results hold true for m>2$m>2$ and m−1m−1<p<pc(N,m). Here pc(N,m)$p_c(N,m)$ is a new critical exponent, which is infinity in low dimension and is always larger than the classical critical one.     

Regularity results for degenerate elliptic systems

We prove regularity results for certain degenerate quasilinear elliptic systems with coefficients which depend on two different weights. By using Sobolev- and Poincaré inequalities due to Chanillo and Wheeden [S. Chanillo, R.L. Wheeden, Weighted Poincaré and Sobolev inequalities and estimates for weighted Peano maximal functions, Amer. J. Math. 107 (1985) 1191–1226; S. Chanillo, R.L. Wheeden, Harnack's inequality and mean-value inequalities for solutions of degenerate elliptic equations, Comm. Partial Differential Equations 11 (1986) 1111–1134] we derive a new weak Harnack inequality and adapt an idea due to L. Caffarelli [L.A. Caffarelli, Regularity theorems for weak solutions of some nonlinear systems, Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 35 (1982) 833–838] to prove a priori estimates for bounded weak solutions. For example we show that every bounded weak solution of the system −Dα(aαβ(x,u,∇u)Dβui)=0$-D_{\alpha }(a^{\alpha \beta }(x,u,\mathrm{\nabla }u)D_{\beta }{u}^i)=0$ with |x|²|ξ|²?aαβξαξβ?τ|x||ξ|²${|x|}^2{|\xi |}^2?a^{\alpha \beta }{\xi }_{\alpha }{\xi }_{\beta }?{|x|}^{\tau }{|\xi |}^2$, |x|<1$|x|<1$, τ∈(1,2)$\tau \in (1,2)$ is Hölder continuous. Furthermore we derive a Liouville theorem for entire solutions of the above systems.     

Asymptotic solutions for large time of Hamilton–Jacobi equations in Euclidean n space

We study the large time behavior of solutions of the Cauchy problem for the Hamilton–Jacobi equation ut+H(x,Du)=0$u_t+H(x,Du)=0$ in Rn×(0,∞)${\mathbf{R}}^n\times (0,\infty )$, where H(x,p)$H(x,p)$ is continuous on Rn×Rn${\mathbf{R}}^n\times {\mathbf{R}}^n$ and convex in p  . We establish a general convergence result for viscosity solutions u(x,t)$u(x,t)$ of the Cauchy problem as t→∞$t\to \infty$.     

Multiplicity of positive and nodal solutions for scalar field equations

In this paper the question of finding infinitely many solutions to the problem −Δu+a(x)u=|u|^p−2u$-\mathrm{\Delta }u+a(x)u={|u|}^{p-2}u$, in R^N${\mathbb{R}}^N$, u∈H¹(R^N)$u\in H^1({\mathbb{R}}^N)$, is considered when N≥2$N\ge 2$, p∈(2,2N/(N−2))$p\in (2,2N/(N-2))$, and the potential a(x)$a(x)$ is a positive function which is not required to enjoy symmetry properties. Assuming that a(x)$a(x)$ satisfies a suitable “slow decay at infinity” condition and, moreover, that its graph has some “dips”, we prove that the problem admits either infinitely many nodal solutions or infinitely many constant sign solutions. The proof method is purely variational and allows to describe the shape of the solutions.     

Existence and uniqueness of solutions of reaction–convection equations with non-Lipschitz nonlinearity

In this work we study single balance law _ut+∇⋅Φ(u)=f(u)$u_t+\mathrm{\nabla }\cdot \Phi (u)=f(u)$ with bounded initial value, and find that there may exist maximal and minimal solutions, if f(u)$f(u)$ is not Lipschitz continuous at u=0$u=0$. We also show that comparison principle is valid for such solutions, and the solutions may blow up or not under certain conditions. It is determined by the strength of source supply, as well as the competition between the source and flux.