A mathematical analysis of quantum transport in three-dimensional crystals

Summary We present an existence and uniqueness result for a quantum transport model in three dimensional crystals. The model consists of a quantum transport (Wigner) equation posed on the phase space consisting of a discrete position variable and a «continuous» wave vector, which is restricted to a bounded domain inR ³ (first Brillouin zone of the crystal). The potential is modeled self-consistently by a discrete Poisson equation (Coulomb interaction). Also we investigate the limits of solutions of this model as the grid spacing tends to zero and show that they converge to the solution of a quantum transport model posed on the «fully continuous» phase space. The transport model derived by this limiting procedure treats the band diagram of the crystal in a semi-classical way and the potential energy term quantum mechanically.     

Une inégalité pour les opérateurs elliptiques du second ordre

Summary In this paper, two new inequalities concerning second-order elliptic operators are proved: essentially it is proved that the « angle» between two second-order elliptic operators is acute (this for both the L² and the H¹ scalar product).     

Some variations on the notion of connection

Distributions on manifolds are studied in terms of jets of submanifolds and are interpreted as «pre-connections» or «almost-fibrings»; the associated differential calculus is developed in detail. A comparison with connections on fibred manifolds is analysed. Moreover, «higher order pre-connections», defined as pre-connections dependent on jets of arbitrary order, are introduced and studied. It is shown that infinite jets play an essential role in the associated differential calculus.This work has been performed the visits of Prof. A. M.Vinogradov at the Department of Applied Mathematics, supported by Gruppo Nazionale per la Fisica Matematica of CNR (1989, 1990).This work has been partially supported by funds (40% and 60%) of MURST.     

Two theorems in classical vorticity theory

Zusammenfassung Es wurden zwei neue Sätze für den Transport von Wirbeln aufgestellt. Dabei zeigt sich, dass die Begriffe «Konvektion» und «Diffusion» neu definiert werden sollten.     

On a unifying approach to decomposition theorems of Yosida-Hewitt type

In this paper we deal with a very general form of the Yosida-Hewitt theorem on the decomposition of measures into countably additive («normal») and purely finitely additive («antinormal») parts. It expands a previous one by the authors with the aim of joining two different standpoints to the Yosida-Hewitt type theorems. The first goes back to the original publication defining the «antinormal» part as a certain disjoint complement to the «normal» one. The second approach goes deeper and characterizes this disjoint complement intrinsically i.e. as a measure, functional or operator which is equal to zero on a huge set. These two points of view are common for the publications connected, respectively, with measure theory and, theory of vector lattices; the second allows important applications. The unification of these approaches gives an opportunity to derive new information in the case of vector measures. We have taken the opportunity of this paper also to furnish a survey of the topic.     

Kontinua zweiter Ordnung

Ohne ZusammenfassungDie Arbeit ist eine Fortsetzung meiner Untersuchungen zu den Grundlagen der Topologie: «Stetige Mengen», Monatsh. f. Math. Phys. 31 (1921) und «Bereiche zweiter Ordnung», ebenda Bd. 32 (1922). Sie seien im Folgenden mit I und II zitiert. Vgl. auch Hausdorff, Grundzüge der Mengenlehre. 1914, S. 290–304.     

Asymptotic expansions obtained by a center manifold theorem

Sunto Viene presentato un nuovo metodo per la determinazione degli sviluppi asintotici della soluzione esterna di sistemi di equazioni differenziali ordinarie singolarmente perturbati. Il metodo proposto, basato sulla teoria geometrica delle perturbazioni singolari e in particolare su un teorema di esistenza di varietà centrale, permette di ottenere le equazioni differenziali che definiscono le variabili « lente » senza la preventiva conoscenza dei corrispondenti sviluppi per le variabili « veloci ». Inoltre, se i sistemi vengono dati con condizioni iniziali, alcune formule che esprimono le corrette condizioni iniziali da assegnare alle equazioni differenziali trovate — formule già note nel « caso stabile » — vengono estese al « caso condizionalmente stabile »; il procedimento qui usato risulta anche più sintetico rispetto a quelli precedentemente proposti. Infine viene studiata un'applicazione ad una classe assai generale di equazioni derivanti dalla cinetica delle reazioni enzimatiche.

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Lavoro eseguito nell'ambito dei programmi del gruppo di ricerca « Equazioni di Evoluzione e Applicazioni », M.P.I., e del Gruppo Nazionale Fisica-Matematica del C.N.R.     

Algebraic Riccati equations with non-smoothing observation arising in hyperbolic and Euler-Bernoulli boundary control problems

Summary This paper considers the optimal quadratic cost problem (regulator problem) for a class of abstract differential equations with unbounded operators which, under the same unified framework, model in particular «concrete» boundary control problems for partial differential equations defined on a bounded open domain of any dimension, including: second order hyperbolic scalar equations with control in the Dirichlet or in the Neumann boundary conditions; first order hyperbolic systems with boundary control; and Euler-Bernoulli (plate) equations with (for instance) control(s) in the Dirichlet and/or Neumann boundary conditions. The observation operator in the quadratic cost functional is assumed to be non-smoothing (in particular, it may be the identity operator), a case which introduces technical difficulties due to the low regularity of the solutions. The paper studies existence and uniqueness of the resulting algebraic (operator) Riccati equation, as well as the relationship between exact controllability and the property that the Riccati operator be an isomorphism, a distinctive feature of the dynamics in question (emphatically not true for, say, parabolic boundary control problems). This isomorphism allows one to introduce a «dual» Riccati equation, corresponding to a «dual» optimal control problem. Properties between the original and the «dual» problem are also investigated.Research partially supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant NSF-DMS-8301668 and by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Grant AFOSR-84-0365.     

Sul criterio dell'energia per la stabilitá di un sistema termomeccanico

Summary The energy criterion for mechanical stability asserts that the stable configurations are those that minimize the potential energy. Recent studies have shown that the energy criterion can be extended to stability of thermomechanical systems under suitable environment conditions, provided that the «stored energy» is interpreted as the equilibrium free-energy at the environmental temperature ^e. The aim of this paper is to provide a contribution to a general theory of thermomechanical stability. Essentially we have restated the theory for general materials introduced by Gurtin with a new framework in the light of recent theories of Noll and Coleman-Owen on simple materials and on thermodynamical potentials. We define a «thermomechanical system» which posseses two main features: i) state space has a «natural topology» depending on the thermodynamical behaviour of system; ii) internal energy E and entropy S are not supposed to exist but are expressely obtained with their smoothness properties.

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Lavoro eseguito nell'ambito del G.N.F.M. del C.N.R,     

Existence and uniqueness for a reaction-diffusion problem in infiltration

We consider a system of coupled PDE'smodeling the infiltration of a reacting fluid in a soluble porous medium. The system is made of a parabolic equation for the concentration of the dissolved material, an ODE (hyperbolic equation with characteristic x=Const.)for the porosity, and an elliptic equation for the fluid pressure. We prove the existence and uniqueness of a classical solution. The classical solution is global in time in the one-dimensional case. Global existence of a weak solution is proved for the n- dimensional case.The authors would like to acknowledge the M.U.R.S.T. Project 40% «Problemi non lineari...» and the Italia C.N.R. Strategic Project «Metodi matematici per le applicazioni industriali» for partial financial support of this work.     

A boundary-layer in an elastico-viscous fluid

Zusammenfassung Die Prandtlsche Grenzschichttheorie wird verallgemeinert, so dass sie die Nollschen «einfachen Flüssigkeiten» erfasst. Es wird bewiesen, dass bei Flüssigkeiten mit geringem «Erinnerungsvermögen» die in der Grenzschicht vorhandenen Spannungen denjenigen ähnlich sind, welche bei einer einfachen Schubbeanspruchung vorkommen.     

Wiener criterion and potential estimates for obstacle problems relative to degenerate elliptic operators

Summary We give a Wiener's type criterion for the continuity of the local solutions of obstacle problems relative to a degenerate elliptic operator. Moreover, we give an estimate on the modulus of continuity of the solutions and we also estimate the «energy decay» at a point.

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Sunto Si dà un criterio di Wiener per la continuità in un punto delle soluzioni locali di problemi d'ostacolo relativi ad un operatore ellittico degenere. Si ottiene inoltre una stima del modulo di continuità della soluzione e del «decay» dell'«energia» in un punto.

     

Chaotic behavior of a class of nonlinear differential delay equations

Summary For the differential delay equation the existence of infinitely many periodic as well as infinitely many aperiodic solutions («choatic behavior in the sense of Li and Yorke») is proved.     

Quelques applications de la théorie générale des processus. I

Sans résuméEquipe de Recherche n^o 1 «Processus stochastiques et application» dépendant de la Section n^o 2 «Théories Physiques et Probabilités» associée au C.N.R.S.     

Sui probleimi ellittici non lineari con coefficienti crescenti «rapidamente» o «lentamente»

Summary We study boundary value problems in variational form for nonlinear elliptic operators in the case the nonlinearity is not of polynomial type. We give some examples of applications of abstract theorems for homogeneous problems obtained by other authors (e.g. Donaldson, Grossez) to homogeneous «intermediate» and «mixed» problems. Furthermore we prove some existence theorems for non homogeneous problems.

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Lavoro eseguito nell'ambito del G.N.A.F.A. del C.N.R.     

On the optimal control and relaxation of nonlinear infinite dimensional systems

Summary In this paper we study optimal control problems for infinite dimensional systems governed by a semilinear evolution equation. First under appropriate convexity and growth conditions, we establish the existence of optimal pairs. Then we drop the convexity hypothesis and we pass to a larger system known as the « relaxed system ». We show that this system has a solution and the value of the relaxed optimization problem is equal to the value of the original one. Next we restrict our attention to linear systems and establish two « bang-bang » type theorems. Finally we present some examples from systems governed by partial differential equations.Research supported by N.S.F. Grant-8602313.Work done while on leave at the « University of Thessaloniki, School of Technology, Mathematics Division, Thessaloniki 54006, Greece ».     

Bifurcation from 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional invariant tori

Summary The existence of 2 -dimensional invariant tori and their bifurcation in 3-dimensional invariant tori are investigated for a family of (non- hamiltonian) differential sistems in R ⁴.Techniques inspired to the « K.A.M. theory » are used to identify « paths of bifurcation » in the parameters space.Work performed under the auspices of the Italian Council of Research (C.N.R.) and of Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione (M.P.I.).     

On some degenerate evolution variational inequalities

Summary A class of parabolic variational inequalities is investigated, where: the unilateral constraints concern the time derivative of the unknown function; degeneracies or singularities with respect to the time variable are considered. Some general abstract existence and uniqueness results are proved, in the natural framework of suitable weighted spaces.

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Sunto Si studia una classe di disequazioni variazionali paraboliche, dove: i vincoli unilaterali riguardano la derivata rispetto al tempo delta funzione incognita; vengono considerate singolarità e degenerazioni rispetto alla variabile temporale. Si dimostrano alcuni risultati generali di esistenza ed unicità, nell'ambito naturale di opportuni spazi con peso.

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This work was supported in part by the «G.N.A.F.A. del C.N.R.», and by the «Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca Scientifica» (through 60% and 40% grants).     

Una struttura sintattica unitaria per le teorie della relatività ristretta e della meccanica classica

A unified axiomatic scheme for both the Newtonian Mechanics and the Special Theory of Relativity is given, by setting two systems of Axioms that differ from each other in only one requirement about the possibility of measuring time-intervals by light reflections. The concept of «observer» is obtained as a derived concept, rather than a primitive one, as in some previous papers by other Authors. The status of Newtonian Mechanics as a «limiting case» of Special Relativity is rigorously deduced as a consequence of the result that the geometric structure of (neo)classical space-time is a limit of a family of relativistic geometric structures for the space-time.     

Nontrivial solutions of elliptic boundary value problems with resonance at zero

Summary We consider a general nonlinear parabolic BVP (P) on a bounded and smooth domain R_n, the nonlinearity being given by a functionf: . We impose various hypotheses on f: « nonresonance » (with respect to the linearized BVP) at infinity, « nonresonance » or «resonance» at zero. Using an extension of Conley's index theory to noncompact spaces, we prove the existence of equilibria of (P) (i.e. solutions of a corresponding elliptic equation), as well as trajectories joining some of these equilibria. The results obtained generalize earlier results of Amann and Zehnder (who were the first to apply the Conley index to elliptic equations), of Peitgen and Schmitt, and of this author.Dedicated to Professor Jack K. Hale on his 55-th birthdayThis research was supported, in part, by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (D.F.G.).