Regularity of quasi-minimizers on metric spaces

Using the theory of Sobolev spaces on a metric measure space we are able to apply calculus of variations and define p-harmonic functions as minimizers of the p-Dirichlet integral. More generally, we study regularity properties of quasi-minimizers of p-Dirichlet integrals in a metric measure space. Applying the De Giorgi method we show that quasi-minimizers, and in particular p-harmonic functions, satisfy Harnack's inequality, the strong maximum principle, and are locally H?lder continuous, if the space is doubling and supports a Poincaré inequality. Received: 12 May 2000 / Revised version: 20 April 2001     

The Harnack inequality for quasilinear elliptic equations under minimal assumptions

In this note we prove the Harnack inequality for non negative solutions of the quasilinear equation

A fully discrete scheme for diffusive-dispersive conservation laws

Summary.   We introduce a fully discrete (in both space and time) scheme for the numerical approximation of diffusive-dispersive hyperbolic conservation laws in one-space dimension. This scheme extends an approach by LeFloch and Rohde [4]: it satisfies a cell entropy inequality and, as a consequence, the space integral of the entropy is a decreasing function of time. This is an important stability property, shared by the continuous model as well. Following Hayes and LeFloch [2], we show that the limiting solutions generated by the scheme need not coincide with the classical Oleinik-Kruzkov entropy solutions, but contain nonclassical undercompressive shock waves. Investigating the properties of the scheme, we stress various similarities and differences between the continuous model and the discrete scheme (dynamics of nonclassical shocks, nucleation, etc). Received November 15, 1999 / Revised version received May 27, 2000 / Published online March 20, 2001     

Solution of nonlinear equations having asymptotic limits at zero and infinity

We obtain nontrivial solutions for semilinear elliptic boundary value problems having asymptotic limits both at zero and at infinity. Received September 28, 1999 / Accepted May 9, 2000 / Published online: December 8, 2000     

The Jacobian and the Ginzburg-Landau energy

We study the Ginzburg-Landau functional for , where U is a bounded, open subset of . We show that if a sequence of functions satisfies , then their Jacobians are precompact in the dual of for every . Moreover, any limiting measure is a sum of point masses. We also characterize the -limit of the functionals , in terms of the function space B2V introduced by the authors in [16,17]: we show that I(u) is finite if and only if , and for is equal to the total variation of the Jacobian measure Ju. When the domain U has dimension greater than two, we prove if then the Jacobians are again precompact in for all , and moreover we show that any limiting measure must be integer multiplicity rectifiable. We also show that the total variation of the Jacobian measure is a lower bound for the limit of the Ginzburg-Landau functional. Received: 15 December 2000 / Accepted: 23 January 2001 / Published online: 25 June 2001     

Universal bound for global positive solutions of a superlinear parabolic problem

We prove universal a priori estimates of global positive solutions of the parabolic problem in , on . Here is a bounded domain in , , and p < 5 if n=3. Received April 6, 2000 / Accepted September 21, 2000 / Published online February 5, 2001     

Analysis of a finite element method for the drift-diffusion semiconductor device equations: the multidimensional case

Summary. An explicit finite element method for numerically solving the drift-diffusion semiconductor device equations in two space dimensions is analyzed. The method is based on the use of a mixed finite element method for the approximation of the electric field and a discontinuous upwinding finite element method for the approximation of the electron and hole concentrations. The mixed method gives an approximate electric field in the precise form needed by the discontinuous method, which is trivially conservative and fully parallelizable. It is proven that the method produces uniformly bounded concentrations and electric fields and that it converges to the exact solution provided there is a convergent subsequence of the electron concentrations. Numerical simulations are presented that display the performance of the method and indicate the behavior of the solution. Received September 9, 1993 / Revised version received May 25, 1994     

Global Existence and Asymptotic Limits of Weak Solutions of the Bipolar Hydrodynamic Model for Semiconductors

For the case of the adiabatic exponents being larger than , we establish the global existence of entropy weak solutions of the Cauchy problem to the bipolar hydrodynamic model for semiconductors. Using the theory of compensated compactness, we hence give finally a complete answer on the related existence problems with the -law pressure relation. A new kind of singular limit of the modified entropy weak solution is discussed. To some extent, the limit of this sort can provide some information about the uniform boundedness of the scaled solution sequences. The quasineutral-relaxation limit of the entropy weak solutions is also investigated.     

A degenerate diffusion problem with dynamical boundary conditions Diffusion problem with dynamical boundary conditions

The purpose of this paper is to study the existence, the uniqueness and the limit in , as of solutions of general initial-boundary-value problems of the form and in a bounded domain with dynamical boundary conditions of the form Received: 5 December 2000 / Revised version: 20 November 2001 / Published online: 4 April 2002     

An operator splitting method for nonlinear convection-diffusion equations

Summary. We present a semi-discrete method for constructing approximate solutions to the initial value problem for the -dimensional convection-diffusion equation . The method is based on the use of operator splitting to isolate the convection part and the diffusion part of the equation. In the case , dimensional splitting is used to reduce the -dimensional convection problem to a series of one-dimensional problems. We show that the method produces a compact sequence of approximate solutions which converges to the exact solution. Finally, a fully discrete method is analyzed, and demonstrated in the case of one and two space dimensions. ReceivedFebruary 1, 1996 / Revised version received June 24, 1996     

Rapid time-decay and net force to the obstacles by the Stokes flow in exterior domains

Consider the nonstationary Stokes equations in exterior domains with the compact boundary . We show first that the solution decays like for all as . This decay rate is optimal in the sense that for some as occurs if and only if the net force exerted by the fluid on is zero. Received: 15 June 2000 / Published online: 18 June 2001     

Regularity of components in optimal design problems with perimeter penalization

We consider minimal energy configurations of mixtures of two materials in , where the energy includes a penalty on the length of the interface between the materials. We show that, for one of the materials, the boundary of each component is smooth, and we prove the existence of an upper bound on the relative distances between components. Received: 24 March 2000 / Accepted: 25 October 2001 / Published online: 29 April 2002     

Semi-Classical Analysis of a Dirac Equation Without Adiabatic Decoupling

We study adiabatic decoupling for Dirac equation with some scaling which yields that the mass appears with a coefficient where is the semi-classical parameter and > 0. Therefore, the system presents an avoided crossing. The scale = 1/2 is critical: adiabatic decoupling holds for (0,1/2) while for 1/2, there is energy transfer at leading order between the two modes. We describe this transfer in terms of two-scale Wigner measures by means of Landau-Zener formula which takes into account the change of polarization of the measures after the crossing.     

Stability of piecewise polynomial collocation for computing periodic solutions of delay differential equations

Summary. We prove numerical stability of a class of piecewise polynomial collocation methods on nonuniform meshes for computing asymptotically stable and unstable periodic solutions of the linear delay differential equation by a (periodic) boundary value approach. This equation arises, e.g., in the study of the numerical stability of collocation methods for computing periodic solutions of nonlinear delay equations. We obtain convergence results for the standard collocation algorithm and for two variants. In particular, estimates of the difference between the collocation solution and the true solution are derived. For the standard collocation scheme the convergence results are “unconditional”, that is, they do not require mesh-ratio restrictions. Numerical results that support the theoretical findings are also given. Received June 9, 2000 / Revised version received December 14, 2000 / Published online October 17, 2001     

Concentration of low energy extremals: Identification of concentration points

We study the variational problem where , is a bounded domain, , F satisfies $0\leq F|t|\leq \alpha |t|^{2^*}$ and is upper semicontinuous. We show that to second order in the value only depends on two ingredients. The geometry of enters through the Robin function (the regular part of the Green's function) and F enters through a quantity which is computed from (radial) maximizers of the problem in . The asymptotic expansion becomes Using this we deduce that a subsequence of (almost) maximizers of must concentrate at a harmonic center of : i.e., , where is a minimum point of . Received: 24 January 2001 / Accepted: 11 May 2001 / Published online: 19 October 2001     

Some interior regularity results for solutions of Hessian equations

We prove monotonicity formulae related to degenerate k-Hessian equations which yield Morrey type estimates for certain integrands involving the second derivatives of the solution. In the special case k=2 we deduce that weak solutions in , , have locally H?lder continuous gradients. In the nondegenerate case we also show that weak solutions in , , have locally bounded second derivatives. Received February 25, 1999 / Accepted June 11, 1999 / Published online April 6, 2000     

An interior second derivative bound for solutions of Hessian equations

In previous work we showed that weak solutions in of the k-Hessian equation have locally bounded second derivatives if g is positive and sufficiently smooth and p > kn/2. Here we improve this result to p > k(n-1)/2, which is known to be sharp in the Monge-Ampère case k=n > 2. Received June 21, 1999 / Accepted June 12, 2000 / Published online November 9, 2000     

An error bound for the finite element approximation of the Cahn-Hilliard equation with logarithmic free energy

Summary. An error bound is proved for a fully practical piecewise linear finite element approximation, using a backward Euler time discretization, of the Cahn-Hilliard equation with a logarithmic free energy. Received October 12, 1994