Local smoothing effects, positivity, and Harnack inequalities for the fast p-Laplacian equation

We study qualitative and quantitative properties of local weak solutions of the fast p-Laplacian equation, t_∂u=Δpu, with 1<p<2. Our main results are quantitative positivity and boundedness estimates for locally defined solutions in domains of Rn×[0,T]. We combine these lower and upper bounds in different forms of intrinsic Harnack inequalities, which are new in the very fast diffusion range, that is when 1<p?2n/(n+1). The boundedness results may be also extended to the limit case p=1, while the positivity estimates cannot.We prove the existence as well as sharp asymptotic estimates for the so-called large solutions for any 1<p<2, and point out their main properties.We also prove a new local energy inequality for suitable norms of the gradients of the solutions. As a consequence, we prove that bounded local weak solutions are indeed local strong solutions, more precisely .     

Positivity, local smoothing, and Harnack inequalities for very fast diffusion equations

We investigate qualitative properties of local solutions u(t,x)?0 to the fast diffusion equation, t_∂u=Δ(um)/m with m<1, corresponding to general nonnegative initial data. Our main results are quantitative positivity and boundedness estimates for locally defined solutions in domains of the form [0,T]×Ω, with Ω⊆Rd. They combine into forms of new Harnack inequalities that are typical of fast diffusion equations. Such results are new for low m in the so-called very fast diffusion range, precisely for all m?mc=(d−2)/d. The boundedness statements are true even for m?0, while the positivity ones cannot be true in that range.     

Pointwise gradient estimates of solutions to onedimensional nonlinear parabolic equations

We present here an improved version of the method introduced by the first author to derive pointwise gradient estimates for the solutions of one-dimensional parabolic problems. After considering a general qualinear equation in divergence form we apply the method to the case of a nonlinear diffusion-convection equation. The conclusions are stated first for classical solutions and then for generalized and mild solutions. In the case of unbounded initial datum we obtain several regularizing effects for t > 0. Some unilateral pointwise gradient estimates are also obtained. The case of the Dirichlet problem is also considered. Finally, we collect, in the last section, several comments showing the connections among these estimates and the study of the free boundaries associated to the solutions of the diffusion-convection equation.     

Pointwise estimates for a class of non-homogeneous Kolmogorov equations

We consider a class of ultraparabolic differential equations that satisfy the Hörmander’s hypoellipticity condition and we prove that the weak solutions to the equation with measurable coefficients are locally bounded functions. The method extends the Moser’s iteration procedure and has previously been employed in the case of operators verifying a further homogeneity assumption. Here we remove that assumption by proving some potential estimates and some ad hoc Sobolev type inequalities for solutions.     

Uniform boundedness in time and large time behavior of weak solutions to a kind of dissipative system

This paper deals with the uniform boundedness (as well as the existence) and large time behavior of the weak entropy solutions to a kind of compressible Euler equation with dissipation effect. The existence and uniform boundedness in time of weak solutions are proved by using the Lax-Friedrichs scheme and compensate compactness. Time asymptotically, the density is showed to satisfy a kind of nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation and the momentum obeys to the Darcy’s law. As a by product, the exponentially decay rate is obtained.     

The pointwise estimates of solutions for a nonlinear convection diffusion reaction equation

This paper studies the time asymptotic behavior of solutions for a nonlinear convection diffusion reaction equation in one dimension.First,the pointwise estimates of solutions are obtained,furthermore,we obtain the optimal L~p,1≤ p ≤ +∞,convergence rate of solutions for small initial data.Then we establish the local existence of solutions,the blow up criterion and the sufficient condition to ensure the nonnegativity of solutions for large initial data.Our approach is based on the detailed analysis of the Green function of the linearized equation and some energy estimates.     

Some a priori bounds for solutions of the constant Gauss curvature equation

In this work, we give a priori height and gradient estimates for solutions of the prescribed constant Gauss curvature equation in Euclidean space. We shall consider convex radial graphs with positive constant mean curvature. The estimates are established by considering in such a graph, the Riemannian metric given by the second fundamental form of the immersion.     

Harnack inequality and continuity of solutions to quasi-linear degenerate parabolic equations with coefficients from Kato-type classes

For a general class of divergence type quasi-linear degenerate parabolic equations with measurable coefficients and lower order terms from nonlinear Kato-type classes, we prove local boundedness and continuity of solutions, and the intrinsic Harnack inequality for positive solutions.     

Blow-up analysis for a nonlinear diffusion system

This paper deals with a nonlinear diffusion system coupled via nonlinear reaction terms of power type. As results of interactions among the multi-nonlinearities in the system described by six exponents, global boundedness and blow-up criteria of positive solutions are determined.Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.Received: December 12, 2001; revised: May 6, December 3, 2002     

Convergence of the Ostrovsky equation to the Ostrovsky–Hunter one

We consider the Ostrovsky equation, which contains nonlinear dispersive effects. We prove that as the diffusion parameter tends to zero, the solutions of the dispersive equation converge to discontinuous weak solutions of the Ostrovsky–Hunter equation. The proof relies on deriving suitable a priori estimates together with an application of the compensated compactness method in the L^p$L^p$ setting.     

The interface between regions where u<0 andu > 0in the porous medium equation

We consider the porous medium equation with sign changes. In particular this equation describes the mixing of fresh and salt groundwater due to mechanical dispersion. The unknown function u, which denotes the velocity of the fluids, may take positive as well as negative values. Our main result is the following : under certain monotonicity hypotheses on the initial function, there exists a time T> 0 after which the regions where u < 0 and u > 0 are separated by an interface x = ζ(t) such that ζ is continuously differentiable on [T,∞]. The method of proof is based on a priori estimates for solutions of regularized problems and for their level lines     

On the coupled BEM and FEM for a nonlinear exterior Dirichlet problem in R2

Summary In this paper we apply the coupling of boundary integral and finite element methods to solve a nonlinear exterior Dirichlet problem in the plane. Specifically, the boundary value problem consists of a nonlinear second order elliptic equation in divergence form in a bounded inner region, and the Laplace equation in the corresponding unbounded exterior region, in addition to appropriate boundary and transmission conditions. The main feature of the coupling method utilized here consists in the reduction of the nonlinear exterior boundary value problem to an equivalent monotone operator equation. We provide sufficient conditions for the coefficients of the nonlinear elliptic equation from which existence, uniqueness and approximation results are established. Then, we consider the case where the corresponding operator is strongly monotone and Lipschitz-continuous, and derive asymptotic error estimates for a boundary-finite element solution. We prove the unique solvability of the discrete operator equations, and based on a Strang type abstract error estimate, we show the strong convergence of the approximated solutions. Moreover, under additional regularity assumptions on the solution of the continous operator equation, the asymptotic rate of convergenceO (h) is obtained.The first author's research was partly supported by the U.S. Army Research Office through the Mathematical Science Institute of Cornell University, by the Universidad de Concepción through the Facultad de Ciencias, Dirección de Investigación and Vicerretoria, and by FONDECYT-Chile through Project 91-386.     

Global existence and decay for nonlinear dissipative wave equations with a derivative nonlinearity

We prove the global existence of the so-called H² solutions for a nonlinear wave equation with a nonlinear dissipative term and a derivative type nonlinear perturbation. To show the boundedness of the second order derivatives we need a precise energy decay estimate and for this we employ a ‘loan’ method.     

Higher regularity for free boundary and tangential derivative problems and global solutions to regular reflections for the unsteady transonic small disturbance (UTSD) equations

We establish C^2,α$C^{2,\alpha }$-estimates for solutions of a class of quasilinear elliptic equations with free boundary and tangential derivative boundary problems. Using this regularity result we show the existence of global solutions to regular shock reflections for the unsteady transonic small disturbance (UTSD) equation. We also present Lipschitz estimates near the degenerate Dirichlet boundary (the sonic boundary) for the UTSD equation.     

A fourth order parabolic equation with nonlinear principal part

In this paper, we study a fourth order parabolic equation with nonlinear principal part modeling epitaxial thin film growth in two space dimensions. On the basis of the Schauder type estimates and Campanato spaces, we prove the global existence of classical solutions.     

Liouville-type theorems and decay estimates for solutions to higher order elliptic equations

Liouville-type theorems are powerful tools in partial differential equations. Boundedness assumptions of solutions are often imposed in deriving such Liouville-type theorems. In this paper, we establish some Liouville-type theorems without the boundedness assumption of nonnegative solutions to certain classes of elliptic equations and systems. Using a rescaling technique and doubling lemma developed recently in Polá?ik et al. (2007) [20], we improve several Liouville-type theorems in higher order elliptic equations, some semilinear equations and elliptic systems. More specifically, we remove the boundedness assumption of the solutions which is required in the proofs of the corresponding Liouville-type theorems in the recent literature. Moreover, we also investigate the singularity and decay estimates of higher order elliptic equations.     

Some remarks on the Schr?dinger equation with a potential in LrtLsx

We study the dispersive properties of the linear Schr?dinger equation with a time-dependent potential V(t,x). We show that an appropriate integrability condition in space and time on V, i.e. the boundedness of a suitable L^r_tL^s_x norm, is sufficient to prove the full set of Strichartz estimates. We also construct several counterexamples which show that our assumptions are optimal, both for local and for global Strichartz estimates, in the class of large unsigned potentials V ∈L^r_tL^s_x. Support. The authors are partially supported by the Research Training Network (RTN) HYKE and by grant HPRN-CT-2002-00282 from the European Union. The third author is supported also by INDAM     

Regularity for a class of strongly degenerate quasilinear operators

We prove a Harnack inequality and regularity for solutions of a quasilinear strongly degenerate elliptic equation. We assume the coefficients of the structure conditions to belong to suitable Stummel–Kato classes.     

Analysis of a one-dimensional free boundary flow problem

A one-dimensional free surface problem is considered. It consists in Burgers’ equation with an additional diffusion term on a moving interval. The well-posedness of the problem is investigated and existence and uniqueness results are obtained locally in time. A semi-discretization in space with a piecewise linear finite element method is considered. A priori and a posteriori error estimates are given for the semi-discretization in space. A time splitting scheme allows to obtain numerical results in agreement with the theoretical investigations.Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation     

Global pointwise estimates for Green's matrix of second order elliptic systems

We establish global pointwise bounds for the Green's matrix for divergence form, second order elliptic systems in a domain under the assumption that weak solutions of the system vanishing on a portion of the boundary satisfy a certain local boundedness estimate. Moreover, we prove that such a local boundedness estimate for weak solutions of the system is equivalent to the usual global pointwise bound for the Green's matrix. In the scalar case, such an estimate is a consequence of De Giorgi-Moser-Nash theory and holds for equations with bounded measurable coefficients in arbitrary domains. In the vectorial case, one need to impose certain assumptions on the coefficients of the system as well as on domains to obtain such an estimate. We present a unified approach valid for both the scalar and vectorial cases and discuss several applications of our result.