On topological entropy of billiard tables with small inner scatterers

We present in this paper an approach to studying the topological entropy of a class of billiard systems. In this class, any billiard table consists of strictly convex domain in the plane and strictly convex inner scatterers. Combining the concept of anti-integrable limit with the theory of Lyusternik-Shnirel'man, we show that a billiard system in this class generically admits a set of non-degenerate anti-integrable orbits which corresponds bijectively to a topological Markov chain of arbitrarily large topological entropy. The anti-integrable limit is the singular limit when scatterers shrink to points. In order to get around the singular limit and so as to apply the implicit function theorem, on auxiliary circles encircling these scatterers we define a length functional whose critical points are well-defined at the anti-integrable limit and give rise to billiard orbits when the scatterers are not points. Consequently, we prove the topological entropy of the first return map to the scatterers can be made arbitrarily large provided the inner scatterers are sufficiently small.     

On action minimizing measures for the Monge-Kantorovich problem

In recent years different authors ([4, 16, 17]) have noticed and investigated some analogy between Mather’s theory of minimal measures in Lagrangian dynamic and the mass transportation (or Monge-Kantorovich) problem. We replace the closure and homological constraints of Mather’s problem by boundary terms and we investigate the equivalence with the mass transportation problem. An Hamiltonian duality formula for the mass transportation and the equivalence with Brenier’s formulation are also established.     

Positivity of the Shape Hessian and Instability of some Equilibrium Shapes

We study the positivity of the second shape derivative around an equilibrium for a 2-dimensional functional involving the perimeter of the shape and its the Dirichlet energy under volume constraint. We prove that, generally, convex equilibria lead to strictly positive second derivatives. We also exhibit some examples where strict positivity of the second order derivative holds at an equilibrium while existence of a minimum does not.     

A bound for minimal graphs with a normal at infinity

It is shown that a minimal graph with a normal at infinity is in a-priori bounded vertical distance from its approximating halfcatenoid. This is used to show that the exterior contact angle problem is wellposed under natural geometric conditions on the domain, while the exterior Dirichlet problem can be solvable only for data which satisfy an oscillation bound.This paper was written under the support of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft while the author was visiting the department of mathematics at Stanford University.This article was processed by the author using the LaT_EX style filepljour1 from Springer-Verlag.     

Variational approach to contact problems in nonlinear elasticity

We use variational methods to study problems in nonlinear 3-dimensional elasticity where the deformation of the elastic body is restricted by a rigid obstacle. For an assigned variational problem we first verify the existence of constrained minimizers whereby we extend previous results. Then we rigorously derive the Euler-Lagrange equation as necessary condition for minimizers, which was possible before only under strong smoothness assumptions on the solution. The Lagrange multiplier corresponding to the obstacle constraint provides structural information about the nature of frictionless contact. In the case of contact with, e.g., a corner of the obstacle, we derive a qualitatively new contact condition taking into account the deformed shape of the elastic body. By our analysis it is shown here for the first time rigorously that energy minimizers really solve the mechanical contact problem. Received: 20 October 2000 / Accepted: 7 June 2001 / Published online: 5 September 2002     

Application of variational inequalities to the moving-boundary problem in a fluid model for biofilm growth

We consider a moving-boundary problem associated with the fluid model for biofilm growth proposed by J. Dockery and I. Klapper, Finger formation in biofilm layers, SIAM J. Appl. Math. 62 (3) (2001) 853–869. Notions of classical, weak, and variational solutions for this problem are introduced. Classical solutions with radial symmetry are constructed, and estimates for their growth given. Using a weighted Baiocchi transform, the problem is reformulated as a family of variational inequalities, allowing us to show that, for any initial biofilm configuration at time t=0$t=0$ (any bounded open set), there exists a unique weak solution defined for all t≥0$t\ge 0$.     

Optimality principles and uniqueness for Bellman equations of unbounded control problems with discontinuous running cost

We study viscosity solutions of Hamilton-Jacobi equations that arise in optimal control problems with unbounded controls and discontinuous Lagrangian. In our assumptions, the comparison principle will not hold, in general. We prove optimality principles that extend the scope of the results of [23] under very general assumptions, allowing unbounded controls. In particular, our results apply to calculus of variations problems under Tonelli type coercivity conditions. Optimality principles can be applied to obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for uniqueness in boundary value problems, and to characterize minimal and maximal solutions when uniqueness fails. We give examples of applications of our results in this direction.     

Shape-topology optimization for Navier–Stokes problem using variational level set method

We consider the shape-topology optimization of the Navier–Stokes problem. A new algorithm is proposed based on the variational level set method. By this algorithm, a relatively smooth evolution can be maintained without re-initialization and drastic topology change can be handled easily. Finally, the promising features of the proposed method are illustrated by two benchmark examples.     

Multiplicity results for quasi-linear problems

Applying the minimax arguments and Morse theory, we establish some results on the existence of multiple nontrivial solutions for a class of p$p$-Laplacian elliptic equations.     

Global exact controllability for quasilinear hyperbolic systems of diagonal form with linearly degenerate characteristics

This paper deals with the global exact controllability for first-order quasilinear hyperbolic systems of diagonal form with linearly degenerate characteristics. When the system has no zero characteristics, we establish the global exact boundary controllability from one arbitrarily preassigned C¹$C^1$ data to another by means of a constructive method, in which the desired boundary controls can be acted either on both sides or only on one side. Sharp estimates on the exact controllable time are given in both cases. When the system has some zero characteristics, the global exact controllability is also established.     

Perturbation effects in nonlinear eigenvalue problems

We establish the complete bifurcation diagram for a class of nonlinear problems on the whole space. Our model corresponds to a class of semilinear elliptic equations with logistic type nonlinearity and absorption. Since this problem arises in population dynamics or in fishery or hunting management, we are interested only in situations allowing the existence of positive solutions. The proofs combine elliptic estimates with the method of sub- and super-solutions.     

Mesh-independence of semismooth Newton methods for Lavrentiev-regularized state constrained nonlinear optimal control problems

A class of nonlinear elliptic optimal control problems with mixed control-state constraints arising, e.g., in Lavrentiev-type regularized state constrained optimal control is considered. Based on its first order necessary optimality conditions, a semismooth Newton method is proposed and its fast local convergence in function space as well as a mesh-independence principle for appropriate discretizations are proved. The paper ends by a numerical verification of the theoretical results including a study of the algorithm in the case of vanishing Lavrentiev-parameter. The latter process is realized numerically by a combination of a nested iteration concept and an extrapolation technique for the state with respect to the Lavrentiev-parameter.     

Cauchy integrals,Calderón projectors,and Toeplitz operators on uniformly rectifiable domains

We develop properties of Cauchy integrals associated to a general class of first-order elliptic systems of differential operators D on a bounded, uniformly rectifiable (UR) domain Ω in a Riemannian manifold M. We show that associated to such Cauchy integrals are analogues of Hardy spaces of functions on Ω annihilated by D  , and we produce projections, of Calderón type, onto subspaces of L^p(∂Ω)$L^p(\partial \Omega )$ consisting of boundary values of elements of such Hardy spaces. We consider Toeplitz operators associated to such projections and study their index properties. Of particular interest is a “cobordism argument,” which often enables one to identify the index of a Toeplitz operator on a rough UR domain with that of one on a smoothly bounded domain.     

Lyapunov pairs for multi-valued semi-linear evolutions

We give here a characterization of a Lyapunov pair for a multi-valued semi-linear evolution equation on a Banach space by means of an appropriate lower contingent derivative. The contingent derivative introduced in this paper is related to a new concept of tangency introduced recently in [O. Cârj?, M. Necula, I.I. Vrabie, Necessary and sufficient conditions for viability for semilinear differential inclusions, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 361 (2009) 343-390]. As an application, we give a controllability result and a Lipschitz estimate of the corresponding minimum time function under a Petrov-like condition.     

Asymptotically linear elliptic boundary value problems

We study semilinear problems in which the nonlinear term has different asymptotic behavior at ± with the limits (1.2) spanning a finite number of eigenvalues of the linear operator.Research supported in part by an NSF grant.     

Invariant measures of Hamiltonian systems with prescribed asymptotic Maslov index

We study the properties of the asymptotic Maslov index of invariant measures for time-periodic Hamiltonian systems on the cotangent bundle of a compact manifold M. We show that if M has finite fundamental group and the Hamiltonian satisfies some general growth assumptions on the momenta, then the asymptotic Maslov indices of periodic orbits are dense in the half line [0,+∞). Furthermore, if the Hamiltonian is the Fenchel dual of an electromagnetic Lagrangian, then every non-negative number r is the limit of the asymptotic Maslov indices of a sequence of periodic orbits which converges narrowly to an invariant measure with asymptotic Maslov index r. We discuss the existence of minimal ergodic invariant measures with prescribed asymptotic Maslov index by the analogue of Mather’s theory of the beta function, the asymptotic Maslov index playing the role of the rotation vector. Dedicated to Vladimir Igorevich Arnold     

Quasi-periodic solutions in a nonlinear Schrödinger equation

In this paper, one-dimensional (1D) nonlinear Schrödinger equation

iut−uxx+mu+⁴|u|u=0     

A new partial regularity result for non-autonomous convex integrals with non-standard growth conditions

We establish C1,γ-partial regularity of minimizers of non-autono-mous convex integral functionals of the type: , with non-standard growth conditions into the gradient variable