We study the regularity of minimizers to the composite membrane problem in the plane (ie given a domain omega and a positive number A, smaller than the measure of omega, minimize the first Dirichlet eigenvalue for the Schrodinger operator with potential equal to a fixed multiple of the characteristic function of a subset D of omega, with measure A). We show that for minimizers, the boundary of D is analytic.
We investigate a PDE-constrained optimization problem, with an intuitive interpretation in terms of the design of robust membranes made out of an arbitrary number of different materials. We prove existence and uniqueness of solutions for general smooth bounded domains, and derive a symmetry result for radial ones. We strengthen our analysis by proving that, for this particular problem, there are no non-global local optima. When the membrane is made out of two materials, the problem reduces to a shape optimization problem. We lay the preliminary foundation for computable analysis of this type o…
This is a continuation of the paper 'Symmetry breaking and other phenomena in the optimization of eigenvalues for composite membranes' by S. Chanillo, D. Grieser, M. Imai, K. Kurata, and I. Ohnishi. Again, we consider the following eigenvalue optimization problem: Given a bounded domain $Ω\subset\R^n$ and numbers $α\geq 0$, $A\in [0,|Ω|]$, find a subset $D\subsetΩ$ of area $A$ for which the first Dirichlet eigenvalue of the operator $-Δ+ αχ_D$ is as small as possible. In this paper we focus on the study of the free boundary of optimal solutions on general domains.
We prove uniqueness and stability for an inverse boundary problem associated to an anisotropic elliptic equation arising in the modeling of prestressed elastic membranes.
We study the regularity of free boundaries in the multiple elastic membrane problem in the plane. We prove the uniqueness of blow-ups, and that the free boundaries are $C^{1,\log}$-curves near a regular intersection point.
One of the main goals of this paper is to extend some of the mathematical techniques of some previous papers by the authors showing that some very useful phenomenological properties which can be observed to the nano-scale can be simulated and justified mathematically by means of some homogenization processes when a certain critical scale is used in the corresponding framework. Here the motivating problem in consideration is formulated in the context of the reverse osmosis. We consider, on a part of the boundary of a domain $Ω\subset \mathbb R^n$, a set of very small periodically distributed se…
The uniqueness of entropy solution for the compressible Euler equations is a fundamental and challenging problem. In this paper, the uniqueness of a composite wave of shock and rarefaction of 1-d compressible Euler equations is proved in the inviscid limit of compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Moreover, the relative entropy around the original Riemann solution consisting of shock and rarefaction under the large perturbation is shown to be uniformly bounded by the framework developed in \cite{Kang-Vasseur-2021-Invent}. The proof contains two new ingredients: 1) a cut-off technique and the ex…
We consider the following eigenvalue optimization in the composite membrane problem with fractional Laplacian: given a bounded domain $Ω\subset \mathbb{R}^n$, $α>0$ and $0<A<|Ω|$, find a subset $D\subset Ω$ of area $A$ such that the first Dirichlet eigenvalue of the operator $(-Δ)^s+αχ_D$ is as small as possible. The solution $D$ is called as an optimal configuration for the data $(Ω,α,A)$. Looking at the well-known extension definition for the fractional Laplacian, in the case $s=1/2$ this is essentially the composite membrane problem for which the mass is concentrated at the boundary as one …
We consider smooth bounded surfaces with a smooth boundary and a prescribed background metric g_0. We now consider all metrics g conformal to g_0 which have a prescribed volume M. We now minimize the first eigenvalue of the Laplace operator of g over the metrics conformal to g_0 and having the prescribed volume. We show that this problem is equivalent to the study of the Composite Membrane Problem, a free boundary problem studied earlier by the author and his collaborators in all dimensions. Thus complete answers, existence of the limit metric, regularity of the minimizing eigenfunction and va…
We consider the following eigenvalue optimization problem: Given a bounded domain $Ω\subset\R^n$ and numbers $α\geq 0$, $A\in [0,|Ω|]$, find a subset $D\subsetΩ$ of area $A$ for which the first Dirichlet eigenvalue of the operator $-Δ+ αχ_D$ is as small as possible. We prove existence of solutions and investigate their qualitative properties. For example, we show that for some symmetric domains (thin annuli and dumbbells with narrow handle) optimal solutions must possess fewer symmetries than $Ω$; on the other hand, for convex $Ω$ reflection symmetries are preserved. Also, we present numerical…
We study the effect of the parameter $λ$, the dimension $N$, the profile $f$ and the geometry of the domain $Ω\subset\mathbb{R}^N$, on the question of uniqueness of the solutions to the following elliptic boundary value problem with a singular nonlinearity: $$ 180pt {{array}{ll} -Δu= \frac{λf(x)}{(1-u)^2} & \hbox{in}Ω0<u<1 &\hbox{in}Ωu=0 &\hbox{on}\partial Ω. {array}. 130pt (S)_{λ, f} $$ This equation has been proposed as a model for a simple electrostatic Micro-Electromechanical System (MEMS) device consisting of a thin dielectric elastic membrane with boundary supported at 0 below a rigid gr…
We consider a generalization of the inverse problem of the electrocardiography in the framework of the theory of elliptic and parabolic differential operators. More precisely, starting with the standard bidomain mathematical model related to the problem of the reconstruction of the transmembrane potential in the myocardium from known body surface potentials we formulate a more general transmission problem for elliptic and parabolic equations in the Sobolev type spaces and describe conditions, providing uniqueness theorems for its solutions. Next, the new transmission problem is interpreted in …
We establish the local uniqueness of steady transonic shock solutions with spherical symmetry for the three-dimensional full Euler equations. These transonic shock-fronts are important for understanding transonic shock phenomena in divergent nozzles. From mathematical point of view, we show the uniqueness of solutions of a free boundary problem for a multidimensional quasilinear system of mixed-composite elliptic--hyperbolic type. To this end, we develop a decomposition of the Euler system which works in a general Riemannian manifold, a method to study a Venttsel problem of nonclassical nonloc…
In this paper we prove a concentration result and an error estimate for a model of heat conduction in composite materials having a microscopic structure arranged in a perodic array and thermally active membranes separating the heat conductive phases.
In this paper we deal with the composite plate problem, namely the following optimization eigenvalue problem $$ \inf_{ρ\in \mathrm{P}} \inf_{u \in \mathcal{W}\setminus\{0\}} \frac{\int_Ω(Δu)^2}{\int_Ω ρu^2}, $$ where $\mathrm{P}$ is a class of admissible densities, $\mathcal{W}= H^{2}_{0}(Ω)$ for Dirichlet boundary conditions and $\mathcal W= H^2(Ω) \cap H^1_{0}(Ω)$ for Navier boundary conditions. The associated Euler-Lagrange equation is a fourth-order elliptic PDE governed by the biharmonic operator $Δ^2$. In the spirit of [10], we study qualitative properties of the optimal pairs $(u,ρ)$. I…
We formulate and study two mathematical models of a thermoforming process involving a membrane and a mould as implicit obstacle problems. In particular, the membrane-mould coupling is determined by the thermal displacement of the mould that depends in turn on the membrane through the contact region. The two models considered are a stationary (or elliptic) model and an evolutionary (or quasistatic) one. For the first model, we prove the existence of weak solutions by solving an elliptic quasi-variational inequality coupled to elliptic equations. By exploring the fine properties of the variation…
We consider Cauchy's equation of motion for hyperelastic materials. The solution of this nonlinear initial-boundary value problem is the vector field which discribes the displacement which a particle of this material perceives when exposed to stress and external forces. This equation is of greatest relevance when investigating the behaviour of elastic, anisotropic composites and for the detection of defects in such materials from boundary measurements. This is why results on unique solvability and continuous dependence from the initial values are of large interest in materials research and str…
This paper considers the performance output tracking for a boundary controlled Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD) system. First, the mathematical properties of a recently developed mathematical model of the DCMD system are discussed. This model consists of parabolic equations coupled at the boundary. Then, the existence and uniqueness of the solutions are analyzed, using the theory of operators. Some regularity results of the solution are also established. A particular case showing the diagonal property of the principal operator is studied. Then, based on one-side feedback law the con…
In this paper we derive a sufficient condition for the existence of a unique solution of a Cauchy type q-fractional problem (involving the fractional q-derivative of Riemann-Liouville type) for some nonlinear differential equations. The key technique is to first prove that this Cauchy type q-fractional problem is equivalent to a corresponding Volterra q-integral equation. Moreover, we define the $q$-analogue of the Hilfer fractional derivative or composite fractional derivative operator and prove some similar new equivalence, existence and uniqueness results as above. Finally, some examples ar…
We analyze the nonlinear elliptic problem $Δu=\frac{λf(x)}{(1+u)^2}$ on a bounded domain $Ω$ of $\R^N$ with Dirichlet boundary conditions. This equation models a simple electrostatic Micro-Electromechanical System (MEMS) device consisting of a thin dielectric elastic membrane with boundary supported at 0 above a rigid ground plate located at -1. When a voltage --represented here by $λ$-- is applied, the membrane deflects towards the ground plate and a snap-through may occur when it exceeds a certain critical value $λ^*$ (pull-in voltage). This creates a so-called "pull-in instability" which gr…
We prove existence and uniqueness for solutions to equilibrium problems for free-standing, traction-free, non homogeneous crystals in the presence of plastic slips. Moreover we prove that this class of problems is closed under G-convergence of the operators. In particular the homogenization procedure, valid for elliptic systems in linear elasticity, depicts the macroscopic features of a composite material in the presence of plastic deformation.
In this paper, we study a hydrodynamic system modeling the deformation of vesicle membranes in incompressible viscous fluids. The system consists of the Navier-Stokes equations coupled with a fourth order phase-field equation. In the three dimensional case, we prove the existence/uniqueness of local strong solutions for arbitrary initial data as well as global strong solutions under the large viscosity assumption. We also establish some regularity criteria in terms of the velocity for local smooth solutions. Finally, we investigate the stability of the system near local minimizers of the elast…
We introduce a new method for the analysis of singularities in the unstable problem $$Δu = -χ_{\{u>0\}},$$ which arises in solid combustion as well as in the composite membrane problem. Our study is confined to points of "supercharacteristic" growth of the solution, i.e. points at which the solution grows faster than the characteristic/invariant scaling of the equation would suggest. At such points the classical theory is doomed to fail, due to incompatibility of the invariant scaling of the equation and the scaling of the solution. In the case of two dimensions our result shows that in a neig…
We study a moving boundary value problem consisting of a viscous incompressible fluid moving and interacting with a nonlinear elastic fluid shell. The fluid motion is governed by the Navier-Stokes equations, while the fluid shell is modeled by a bending energy which extremizes the Willmore functional and a membrane energy that extremizes the surface area of the shell. The fluid flow and shell deformation are coupled together by continuity of displacements and tractions (stresses) along the moving material interface. We prove existence and uniqueness of solutions in Sobolev spaces.