On hearing the shape of a bounded domain with Robin boundary conditions

The asymptotic expansions of the trace of the heat kernel (t)= [sum ]_j=1 exp(-t_j) for small positive t, where {_j} _j=1 arethe eigenvalues of the negative Laplacian -_n = -[sum ]ⁿ_k=1 (/x^k)²in Rⁿ (n = 2 or 3), are studied for a general multiply connectedbounded domain which is surrounded by simply connected boundeddomains _i with smooth boundaries _i (i = 1,...,m), where smoothfunctions Y_i (i = 1,...,m) are assuming the Robin boundary conditions(n_i + Y_i) = 0 on _i. Here /n_i denote differentiations along theinward-pointing normals to _i (i = 1,...,m). Some applicationsof an ideal gas enclosed in the multiply connected bounded containerwith Neumann or Robin boundary conditions are given.     

Blow up of solutions of a generalized Boussinesq equation

Consider the Cauchy problem u_tt = (f(u))_xx + u_xxtt x R, t 0, u(x,0) = u₀(x), u_t(x,0) = u₁(x),7rcub; where f : R R C, f(0) = ). After treatment of the local existenceproblem, we show the blow up of the solution of the equation(1) under the folowing assumptions. Let > 0 be real, such that 2(l + 2)F(u) uf(u), (v₀, Pv₀)_l² + _- F(u₀)dx < 0 where P = 1 - d²/dx², F'(s), and v₀ is given by u₁(x,0) = (v₀(x))_x. Then we focus on various perturbations of the question. We alsostudy the vectorial case in the same way, and finally we giveexamples.     

The Mesa Problem: Diffusion Patterns for ut = {nabla} {middle dot} (um{nabla}u) as m -> +{infty}

In this paper we consider the limit m+ of solutions of the porous-mediumequation u_t = · (u^mu) (xR^N), with N > 1. We conjecturethat, for initial data with a unique maximum, the evolutionis characterized by the onset of a ‘mesa’ region,in which the solution is nearly spatially independent, surroundedby a region in which u is nearly equal to its initial value.The transition between these regions occurs near a surface whichis identified with the free boundary in a certain Stefan problemwhich can be studied using variational inequalities. Moreover,singular-perturbation theory can be used to describe the structureof the transition region.     

On the behaviour of blow-up interfaces for an inhomogeneous filtration equation

We study the asymptotic behaviour of blow-up interfaces of thesolutions to the one-dimensional nonlinear filtration equationin inhomogeneous media where m>1 isa constant and (x) = |x|^– (for |x| 1, with > 2) isa bounded, positive, smooth, and symmetric function. The initialdata are assumed to be smooth, bounded, compactly supported,symmetric, and monotone. It is known that due to the fast decayof the density (x) as |x| the support of the solution increasesunboundedly in a finite time T. We prove that as tT^– theinterface behaves like O((T – t)^–b), where the exponentb > 0 (which depends on m and only) is given by a uniqueself-similar solution of the second kind satisfying the equation|x|^– u_t = (u^m)_xx. The corresponding rescaled profilesalso converge. We establish the stability of the self-similarsolution of the second kind for the exponential density (x)=e^–|x|for |x| 1. We give a formal asymptotic analysis of the blow-upbehaviour for the non-self-similar density (x) = e^–|x|2.Several exact self-similar solutions and their correspondingasymptotics are constructed.     

The Structure of the Solution Set for Periodic Oscillations in a Suspension Bridge Model

Numerical results are reported for the computation of periodicsolution paths for a suspension bridge model represented bythe equation. u_n + EIu_xxxx + u_t, + Ku⁺ = W(^x) + sin x sin µt. with hinged-end boundary conditions, as the forcing amplitude and frequency µ are varied. The term Ku⁺ models the factthat there is restoring force due to the cables only when theyare being stretched. It is found that an S-shaped curve is obtainedwhen the displacement amplitudes are plotted against the forcingamplitudes for some frequency regimes. As a two-parameter problem,it appears that the solution set resembles a cusp-like surfacewith the singular point near linear resonance. While the effectof strengthening the cable (i.e. increasing K) will enhancethe occurrence of the multiple solutions, the effect of increasingthe damping coefficient gives the opposite effect.     

Decay rates of solutions to thermoviscoelastic plates with memory

We consider the thermoelastic plate under the presence of along range memory. We find uniform rates of decay (in time)of the energy, provided that suitable assumptions on the relaxationfunctions are given. Namely, if the relaxation decays exponentiallythen the first order energy also decays exponentially. Whenthe relaxation g satisfies -c₁g(t)^1+1/_p g'(t) -c_og(t)^1+1/_p; and g,g^1-1/_p L¹ (R) withp > 2 then the energy decays as 1/(1+t)^p. A new Liapunov functionalis built for this problem.     

Exponential stability and maximal attractors for a one-dimensional nonlinear thermoviscoelasticity

This paper is concerned with the global existence, exponentialstability of solutions and associated nonlinear C₀-semigroupas well as the existence of maximal attractors in Hⁱ (i = 1,2, 4) for a nonlinear one-dimensional thermoviscoelasticitydescribing a kind of solid-like material. Some new ideas andmore delicated estimates are employed to prove the global existenceand exponential stability of solutions. The important featurefor the existence of maximal attractors in Hⁱ₊ (i = 1, 2, 4)is that the metric spaces H¹₊, H²₊ and H⁴₊ we work with arethree incomplete metric spaces, as can be seen from the physicalconstraints, i.e. > 0 and u > 0, with and u being absolutetemperature and deformation gradient (strain). For any positiveparameters ₁, ₂, ..., ₅ verifying some conditions, a sequenceof closed subspaces Hⁱ Hⁱ+ (i = 1, 2, 4) is found, and theexistence of maximal attractors in Hⁱ (i = 1, 2, 4) is established.     

Long-Time Behavior of Solutions of the Fast Diffusion Equations with Critical Absorption Terms

This paper is devoted to the long-time behavior of solutionsto the Cauchy problem of the porous medium equation u_t = (u^m)– u^p in Rⁿ x (0,) with (1 – 2/n)₊ < m < 1and the critical exponent p = m + 2/n. For the strictly positiveinitial data u(x,0) = O(1 + |x|)^–k with n + mn(2 –n + nm)/(2[2 – m + mn(1 – m)]) k < 2/(1 –m), we prove that the solution of the above Cauchy problem convergesto a fundamental solution of u_t = (u^m) with an additional logarithmicanomalous decay exponent in time as t .     

Adaptive numerical schemes for a parabolic problem with blow-up

In this paper we present adaptive procedures for the numericalstudy of positive solutions of the following problem: u_t = u_xx (x, t) (0, 1) x [0, T), u_x(0, t) = 0 t [0, T), u_x(1, t) = u^p(1, t) t [0, T), u(x, 0) = u₀(x) x (0, 1), with p > 1. We describe two methods. The first one refinesthe mesh in the region where the solution becomes bigger ina precise way that allows us to recover the blow-up rate andthe blow-up set of the continuous problem. The second one combinesthe ideas used in the first one with moving mesh methods andmoves the last points when necessary. This scheme also recoversthe blow-up rate and set. Finally, we present numerical experimentsto illustrate the behaviour of both methods.     

Convolution complementarity problems with application to impact problems

^** Email: dstewart{at}math.uiowa.edu. Part of this work was carried out while visiting CMAF at the University of Lisbon and while visiting the University of Lyons 1. Convolution complementarity problems (CCPs) have the followingform: given a matrix-valued function k and a vector-valued functionq, find a vector-valued function u satisfying 0 u(t) (k*u)(t)+ q(t) 0 for all t. In this paper CCPs are applied to a mechanicalimpact problem, but they can also be applied to other dynamicproblems with hard constraints. CCPs are shown to have solutionsprovided q(0) 0 and q is sufficiently regular, k has locallybounded variation and k(0⁺) is a P-matrix. Uniqueness also holdsprovided, in addition, k(0⁺) is symmetric positive definite.This theory shows that the impact problem studied here has aunique solution, and that energy is conserved. Numerical methodshave been devised and implemented for the impact problem, andthe results are presented.     

A new methodology for the stability analysis of pairwise triangularizable and related switching systems

We consider the asymptotic stability of the time-varying dynamicsystem : = A(t)x, A(t) R^{n x n}, A(t) A= {A₁, ..., A_m}, where A_i is Hurwitz and where a set of non-singularmatrices T_{i j} exist such that any pair of matrices {T_{i j} A_iT_{i j}^–1, T_{i j} A_j T_{i j}^–1}, i, j {1, ..., m}, areupper triangular. Switching systems of this form are referredto as pairwise triangularizable switching systems. It can beestablished that (a) pairwise triangularizability is not sufficientto guarantee the existence of a common quadratic Lyapunov functionfor the linear time-invariant dynamic systems A_i : = A_i x; (b) additional conditions can be specified which guaranteeasymptotic stability of the switching system . In this paperwe also show that pairwise triangularizability is not even sufficientto guarantee asymptotic stability of the switching system .We also show that the method of proof of stability in (b), whichdoes not assume the existence of a common quadratic Lyapunovfunction, can be used to prove the asymptotic stability of moregeneral switching systems (systems that are not pairwise triangularizable).Finally, we show that our results can be used as the basis forthe design of practical control systems; namely, for the designof an automobile speed switched controller with guaranteed stabilityproperties.     

On the Solution of Some Elliptic Difference Equations

Iterative methods for the solution of some nonlinear ellipticdifference systems, approximating the first boundary value problemare considered. If h > 0 is the network step in the spaceof variables x = (x₁, x₂,..., x_p) and 2m is the order of theoriginal boundary value problem, then the iterative methodsproposed give solution of accuracy with the expenditure ofO(|In | h^–(p+m–)) and O(|In | |In h| h^–p)arithmetic operations in the case of a general region and arectangular parallelepiped respectively. In the case p = 2 theestimate O(|In | h^{–[2+ (m/2)]}) is obtained if the regionis made up of rectangles with sides parallel to the co-ordinateaxes.     

The determination of a coefficient in a parabolic equation from input sources

The authors consider the question of recovering the coefficientq from the equation u_t – u_xx + q(x)u = f_j(x) with homogeneousinitial and boundary conditions. The nonhomogeneous source terms form a basis for L²(0,1).It is proved that a unique determination is possible from datameasurements consisting of either the flux at one end of thebar or the net flux leaving the bar, taken at a single fixedtime for each input source. An algorithm that allows efficientnumerical reconstruction of q(x) from finite data is given.     

Injection of Ideal Fluid from a Slot into a Stream: Two Free Boundaries

A fluid is injected from a slot into a stream of another fluid.In a simple model this leads to a two-phase two-free-boundaryproblem with the jump relation |u^–|² – |u⁺|² = on the free boundary {u=0}, and |u| = ¹ on the free boundary{u > – Q}, where u is the stream function and Q isthe flux of the injected fluid. Using the variational theoryof Alt, Caffarelli & Friedman, we prove existence of (,₁, u) such that there is a smooth fit for both free boundaries.     

Uniform l1 behaviour for time discretization of a Volterra equation with completely monotonic kernel: I. stability

This paper is the first of two papers on the time discretizationof the equation u_t + ^t ₀ ß (t — s) Au (s) ds= 0, t > 0, u (0) = u₀, where A is a self-adjoint denselydefined linear operator on a Hilbert space H with a completeeigensystem {_m, _m}_{m = 1}, and ß (t) is completely monotonicand locally integrable, but not constant. The equation is discretizedin time using first-order differences in combination with order-oneconvolution quadrature. The stability properties of the timediscretization are derived in the l¹_t (0, ; H) norm.     

The Model Plasma Problem: Existence of a Solution Branch

We are interested in the model plasma problem –u = u⁺in ,u = –d on , _au⁺ dx=j where is a bounded domain in with boundary ; here, j isa given positive number, the function u and the positive number are the unknowns of the problem, and d is a real parameter.Using a variant of the implicit function theorem, we can provethe existence of a global solution branch parametrized by d.The method has the advantage that it can be used for analysingthe approximation of the above problem by a finite-element method.     

Asymptotic behavior of positive solutions of some quasilinear elliptic problems

We discuss the asymptotic behavior of positive solutions ofthe quasilinear elliptic problem –_pu = a u^p–1–b(x)u^q, u| = 0, as q p – 1 + 0 and as q , via a scale argument.Here _p is the p-Laplacian with 1 < p and q > p –1. If p = 2, such problems arise in population dynamics. Ourmain results generalize the results for p = 2, but some technicaldifficulties arising from the nonlinear degenerate operator–_p are successfully overcome. As a by-product, we cansolve a free boundary problem for a nonlinear p-Laplacian equation.     

Spreading speed and travelling wave solutions of a partially sedentary population

In this paper, we extend the population genetics model of Weinberger(1978, Asymptotic behavior of a model in population genetics.Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations and Applications (J.Chadam ed.). Lecture Notes in Mathematics, vol. 648. New York:Springer, pp. 47–98.) to the case where a fraction ofthe population does not migrate after the selection process.Mathematically, we study the asymptotic behaviour of solutionsto the recursion u_n+1 = Q_g[u_n], where In the above definition of Q_g, K is a probabilitydensity function and f behaves qualitatively like the Beverton–Holtfunction. Under some appropriate conditions on K and f, we showthat for each unit vector R^d, there exists a c^*_g() which hasan explicit formula and is the spreading speed of Q_g in thedirection . We also show that for each c c^*_g(), there existsa travelling wave solution in the direction which is continuousif gf '(0) 1.     

On a Comparison Principle and the Critical Fujita Exponents for Solutions of Semilinear Parabolic Inequalities

The paper examines blow-up phenomena for the inequality u_t–Lu–|u|^q–1u_t–L–||^q–1 (*) in the half-space x Rⁿ, n 1, where L is a linear second-order partial differential operatorin divergence form. The paper studies weak solutions of (*) that belong only locallyto the corresponding Sobolev spaces in the half-space x Rⁿ. It also requires no conditionsfor the behavior of solutions of (*) on the hyperplane t = 0. The existence of critical blow-up exponents is obtained forsolutions of (*) as a special case of a comparison principlefor the corresponding solutions of (*). For example, the well-knownFujita result is a consequence of the comparison principle. The approach developed in the paper is directly applicable tothe study of analogous problems involving nonlinear differentialoperators. Its elliptic analogue has been recently developedby the authors.     

One-Dimensional Heat Conduction with a Class of Automatic Heat-Source Controls

The paper deals with the one-dimensional heat equation withflux boundary conditions and a heat source of the form f(t)K(u(t,x₀)), t>0, where x₀ is a fixed point in the interval (0,1) in which the problem is studied. Thus the heat source isconstant in space for each t and plays the role of an automaticcontroller of the thermal evolution. Existence and uniquenessof solutions are proved under suitable assumptions on the (multivalued)function K and the asymptotic behaviour for t is investigated.