Analysis of PDEs (math.AP)

Abstract: A model of vascular network formation is analyzed in a bounded domain, consisting of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations for the density of the endothelial cells and their velocity, coupled to a reaction-diffusion equation for the concentration of the chemoattractant, which triggers the migration of the endothelial cells and the blood vessel formation. The coupling of the equations is realized by the chemotaxis force in the momentum balance equation. The global existence of finite energy weak solutions is shown for adiabatic pressure coefficients $\gamma>8/5$. The solutions satisfy a relative energy inequality, which allows for the proof of the weak--strong uniqueness property.

Abstract: In this paper, we introduce the $\mathcal{M}$-restricted Euler and hypodissipative Navier-Stokes equations. These equations are analogous to the Euler equation and hypodissipative Navier-Stokes equation, respectively, but with the Helmholtz projection replaced by a projection onto a more restrictive constraint space. The nonlinear term arising from the self-advection of velocity is otherwise unchanged. We prove finite time-blowup when the dissipation is weak enough, by making use of a permutation symmetric Ansatz that allows for a dyadic energy cascade of the type found in the Friedlander-Katz-Pavlovi\'{c} dyadic Euler/Navier-Stokes model equation. The $\mathcal{M}$-restricted Euler and hypodissipative Navier-Stokes equations respect both the energy equality and the identity for enstrophy growth for the full Euler and hypodissipative Navier-Stokes equations.

Abstract: We study the long-time behaviour of a run and tumble model which is a kinetic-transport equation describing bacterial movement under the effect of a chemical stimulus. The experiments suggest that the non-uniform tumbling kernels are physically relevant ones as opposed to the uniform tumbling kernel which is widely considered in the literature to reduce the complexity of the mathematical analysis. We consider two cases: (i) the tumbling kernel depends on the angle between pre- and post-tumbling velocities, (ii) the velocity space is unbounded and the post-tumbling velocities follow the Maxwellian velocity distribution. We prove that the probability density distribution of bacteria converges to an equilibrium distribution with explicit (exponential for (i) and algebraic for (ii)) convergence rates, for any probability measure initial data. To the best of our knowledge, our results are the first results concerning the long-time behaviour of run and tumble equations with non-uniform tumbling kernels.

Abstract: Progresses in additive manufacturing technologies allow the realization of finely graded microstructured materials with tunable mechanical properties. This paves the way to a wealth of innovative applications, calling for the combined design of the macroscopic mechanical piece and its underlying microstructure. In this context, we investigate a topology optimization problem for an elastic medium featuring a periodic microstructure. The optimization problem is variationally formulated as a bilevel minimization of phase-field type. By resorting to Gamma-convergence techniques, we characterize the homogenized problem and investigate the corresponding sharp-interface limit. First-order optimality conditions are derived, both at the homogenized phase-field and at the sharp-interface level.

Abstract: In their seminal work, Cordero-Erausquin, Nazaret and Villani [Adv. Math., 2004] proved sharp Sobolev inequalities in Euclidean spaces via Optimal Mass Transportation, raising the question whether their approach is powerful enough to produce sharp Sobolev inequalities also on Riemannian manifolds. In this paper we affirmatively answer their question for Riemannian manifolds with non-negative Ricci curvature; namely, by using Optimal Mass Transportation with quadratic distance cost, sharp $L^p$-Sobolev and $L^p$-logarithmic Sobolev inequalities (both for $p>1$ and $p=1$) are established, where the optimal constants contain the asymptotic volume growth arising from precise asymptotic properties of the Talentian and Gaussian bubbles. As a byproduct, we give an alternative, elementary proof to the main result of do Carmo and Xia [Compos. Math., 2004] (and subsequent results) concerning the quantitative volume non-collapsing estimates on Riemannian manifolds with non-negative Ricci curvature that support certain Sobolev inequalities.

Abstract: In this article, we extend the study of embedded corrector problems, that we have previously introduced in the context of the homogenization of scalar diffusive equations, to the context of homogenized elastic properties of materials. This extension is not trivial and requires mathematical arguments specific to the elasticity case. Starting from a linear elasticity model with highly-oscillatory coefficients, we introduce several effective approximations of the homogenized tensor. These approximations are based on the solution to an embedded corrector problem, where a finite-size domain made of the linear elastic heterogeneous material is embedded in a linear elastic homogeneous infinite medium, the constant elasticity tensor of which has to be appropriately determined. The approximations we provide are proven to converge to the homogenized elasticity tensor when the size of the embedded domain tends to infinity. Some particular attention is devoted to the case of isotropic materials.

Abstract: This paper is concerned with the large-time dynamics of bounded solutions of reaction-diffusion equations with bounded or unbounded initial support in R N. We start with a survey of some old and recent results on the spreading speeds of the solutions and their asymptotic local one-dimensional symmetry. We then derive some flattening properties of the level sets of the solutions if initially supported on subgraphs. We also investigate the special case of asymptotically conical-shaped initial conditions. Lastly, we reclaim some known results about the logarithmic lag between the position of the solutions and that of planar or spherical fronts expanding with minimal speed, for almost-planar or compactly supported initial conditions. We then prove some new logarithmic-in-time estimates of the lag of the position of the solutions with respect to that of a planar front, for initial conditions which are supported on subgraphs with logarithmic growth at infinity. These estimates entail in particular that the same lag as for compactly supported initial data holds true for a class of unbounded initial supports. The paper also contains some related conjectures and open problems.

Abstract: Using a modified version of Weinstein's argument for constrained minimization in nonlinear dispersive equations, we prove existence of solitary waves in fully nonlocally nonlinear equations, as long as the linear multiplier is of positive and slightly higher order than the Coifman-Meyer nonlinear multiplier. It is therefore the relative order of the linear term over the nonlinear one that determines the method and existence for these types of equations. In analogy to KdV-type equations and water waves in the capillary regime, smooth solutions of all amplitudes can be found. We consider two structural types of symmetric Coifman-Meyer symbols $n(\xi-\eta,\eta)$, and show that cyclical symmetry is necessary for the existence of a functional formulation. Estimates for the solution and wave speed are given as the solutions tend to the bifurcation point of solitary waves.

Abstract: Given an elliptic operator $L= - \mathrm{div} (A \nabla \cdot)$ subject to mixed boundary conditions on an open subset of $\mathbb{R}^d$, we study the relation between Gaussian pointwise estimates for the kernel of the associated heat semigroup, H\"older continuity of $L$-harmonic functions and the growth of the Dirichlet energy. To this end, we generalize an equivalence theorem of Auscher and Tchamitchian to the case of mixed boundary conditions and to open sets far beyond Lipschitz domains. Yet we prove consistency of our abstract result by encompassing operators with real-valued coefficients and their small complex perturbations into one of the aforementioned equivalent properties. The resulting kernel bounds open the door for developing a harmonic analysis for the associated semigroups on rough open sets.

Abstract: This manuscript is devoted to constructing complete metrics with constant higher fractional curvature on punctured spheres with finitely many isolated singularities. Analytically, this problem is reduced to constructing singular solutions for a conformally invariant integro-differential equation that generalizes the critical GJMS problem. Our proof follows the earlier construction in Ao {\it et al.} \cite{MR3694645}, based on a gluing method, which we briefly describe. Our main contribution is to provide a unified approach for fractional and higher order cases. This method relies on proving Fredholm properties for the linearized operator around a suitably chosen approximate solution. The main challenge in our approach is that the solutions to the related blow-up limit problem near isolated singularities need to be fully classified; hence we are not allowed to use a simplified ODE method. To overcome this issue, we approximate solutions near each isolated singularity by a family of half-bubble tower solutions. Then, we reduce our problem to solving an (infinite-dimensional) Toda-type system arising from the interaction between the bubble towers at each isolated singularity. Finally, we prove that this system's solvability is equivalent to the existence of a balanced configuration.