Homogenisation of the first-order Hamilton-Jacobi equations when H is periodic in the second variable, leads to an effective Hamiltonian H satisfying: uε converges, as ε → 0, to the solution u of ut + H(Du) = 0. In our first paper, we assumed that H is convex and we derived a variational formula giving H. In this second paper, we consider eikonal equations, i.e. H(p, x) = ½|p|2 – V(x). Using our variational formula, we compute explicitly the effective Hamiltonian in several cases, and we study precisely the lack of strict convexity for H (‘flat part’ around the origin).

In recent years models describing interactions between fracture and damage have been proposed in which the relaxed energy of the material is given by a functional involving bulk and interfacial terms, of the form

where Ω is an open, bounded subset of ℝN, q ≧1, g ∈ L∞ (Ω ℝN), λ, β > 0, the bulk energy density F is quasiconvex, K⊂ℝN is closed, and the admissible deformation u:Ω→ ℝN is C1 in Ω\K One of the main issues has to do with regularity properties of the ‘crack site’ K for a minimising pair (K, u). In the scalar case, i.e. when uΩ→ ℝ, similar models were adopted to image segmentation problems, and the regularity of the ‘edge’ set K has been successfully resolved for a quite broad class of convex functions F with growth p > 1 at infinity. In turn, this regularity entails the existence of classical solutions. The methods thus used cannot be carried out to the vectorial case, except for a very restrictive class of integrands. In this paper we deal with a vector-valued case on the plane, obtaining regularity for minimisers of corresponding to polyconvex bulk energy densities of the form

where the convex function h grows linearly at infinity.

Dissipative Schrodinger operators are studied in L2(0, ∞) which are extensions of symmetric operators with defect index (2, 2). We construct a selfadjoint dilation and its incoming and outgoing spectral representations, which makes it possible to determine the scattering matrix according to the scheme of Lax and Phillips. With the help of the incoming spectral representation, we construct a functional model of the dissipative operator and construct its characteristic function in terms of solutions of the corresponding differential equation. On the basis of the results obtained regarding the theory of the characteristic function, we prove a theorem on completeness of the system of eigenfunctions and associated functions of the dissipative operator.

A theorem is proved characterising representable, multiplicative commutative cohomology theories that split as sums of singular cohomologies after localisation at 2. This theorem is shown to be equivalent to one proved by Würgler and Pazhitnov and Rudyak, for which we provide a simplified proof. We also provide a simple proof of a related theorem of Boardman.

We study the existence and uniqueness of non-negative solutions of the nonlinear parabolic equation

posed in Q = RN × (0, ∞) with general initial data u(x, 0) = u0(x) ≧ 0. We find optimal exponential growth conditions for existence of solutions. Similar conditions apply for uniqueness, but the growth rate is different. Such conditions strongly depart from the linear case m = 1, ut = Δu – u, and also from the purely diffusive case ut = Δum.

We introduce a new concept of convergence for bounded sequences of functions in L2(Ω), called θ – 2 convergence, where Ω is an open set of ℝn and θ a C2 diffeomorphism of ℝn. This tool enables us to deal with homogenisation problems in some nonperiodic perforated domains. In particular, it provides a simple proof, and extensions, of a recent result of M. Briane.

In this paper, we consider the question of existence of solutions and their regularity properties for a large class of stochastic evolution equations governed by B-evolutions involving two different Hilbert spaces. This allows dynamic boundary conditions together with noisy boundary data. They cover also stochastic boundary value problems. Our results are illustrated by two practical examples.

We study the asymptotic behaviour, for a sequence of varying open sets Ωn, of the solutions un of nonlinear Dirichlet problems for a monotone Leray–Lions operator. The method is based on the comparison between the gradient of un and the corrector for the p-Laplacian corresponding to the same geometry as the monotone operator. The representation of the limit problem and a corrector result are obtained.

In previous papers we have studied oscillation properties of Sturm–Liouville problems (−Py′)′ + qy = λry, with λ-dependent boundary conditions, under various ‘definiteness’ conditions. Here we present a new, unified, approach which also covers cases previously untreated, e.g. of semidefinite weight, and also the fully indefinite problem.

We discuss the existence of positive solutions of some singularity perturbed elliptic equations on convex domains with nonlinearity changing sign. In particular, we obtain solutions with both a boundary layer and a sharp interior peak.

A large class of first-order partial nonlinear differential equations in two independent variables which possess an infinite set of polynomial conservation laws derived from an explicit generating function is constructed. The conserved charge densities are all homogeneous polynomials in the unknown functions which satisfy the differential equations in question. The simplest member of the class of equations is related to the Born–Infeld Equation in two dimensions. It is observed that some members of this class possess identical charge densities. This enables the construction of a set of multivariable equations with an infinite number of conservation laws.

Some evidence indicates that spherically symmetric solutions of the compressible Euler equations blow up near the origin at some time under certain circumstances (cf. [4,19]). In this paper, we observe a criterion for L∞ Cauchy data of arbitrarily large amplitude to ensure the existence of L∞ spherically symmetric solutions in the large, which model outgoing blast waves and large-time asymptotic solutions. The equilibrium states of the solutions and their asymptotic decay to such states are analysed. Some remarks on global spherically symmetric solutions are discussed.

The existence of global weak solutions is shown for the equations of isentropic gas dynamics with inhomogeneous terms by the viscosity method. A generalised version of the method of invariant regions is developed to obtain the uniform L∞ bounds of the viscosity solutions, and the method of compensated compactness is applied to show the existence of weak solutions as limits of the viscosity solutions. The lower positive bound for the density function is also obtained. As an example, a hydrodynamic model for semiconductors is analysed

This paper addresses the computation of normal forms for periodic retarded functional differential equations (FDEs) with autonomous linear part. The analysis is based on the theory previously developed for autonomous retarded FDEs. Adequate nonresonance conditions are derived. As an illustration, the Bogdanov–Takens and the Hopf singularities are considered.

In this paper we prove the existence and uniqueness of a renormalised solution of the nonlinear problem

where the data f and u0 belong to L1(Ω × (0, T)) and L1 (Ω), and where the function a:(0, T) × Ω × ℝN → ℝN is monotone (but not necessarily strictly monotone) and defines a bounded coercive continuous operator from the space into its dual space. The renormalised solution is an element of C0 ([ 0, T] L1 (Ω)) such that its truncates TK(u) belong to with

this solution satisfies the equation formally obtained by using in the equation the test function S(u)φ, where φ belongs to and where S belongs to C∞(ℝ) with

We consider the positive solutions to the semilinear equation:

where Ω denotes a smooth bounded region in ℝN(N > 1) and ℷ 0. Here f :[0, ∞)→ℝ is assumed to be monotonically increasing, concave and such that f(0)<0 (semipositone). Assuming that f′(∞)≡limt→∞f(t)> 0, we establish the stability and uniqueness of large positive solutions in terms of (f(t)/t)′ When Ω is a ball, we determine the exact number of positive solutions for each λ > 0. We also obtain the geometry of the branches of positive solutions completely and establish how they evolve. This work extends and complements that of [3, 7] where f′(∞)≦0.

Using the fibrering method, we prove the existence of multiple positive solutions of quasilinear problems of second order. The main part of our differential operator is p-Laplacian and we consider solutions both in the bounded domain Ω⊂ℝN and in the whole of ℝN. We also prove nonexistence results.

We consider steady potential hydrodynamic-Poisson systems with a dissipation term (viscosity) proportional to a small parameter v in a two- or three-dimensional bounded domain. We show here that for any smooth solution of a boundary value problem which satisfies that the speed, denoted by |∇φv|, has an upper coarse bound , uniform in the parameter v, then a sharper, correct uniform bound is obtained: the viscous speed |∇φv| is bounded pointwise, at points x0 in the interior of the flow domain, by cavitation speed (given by Bernoulli's Law at vacuum states) plus a term of that depends on . The exponent is β = 1 for the standard isentropic gas flow model and β = 1/2 for the potential hydrodynamic Poisson system. Both cases are considered to have a γ-pressure law with 1<γ<2 in two space dimensions and 1 < γ< 3/2 in three space dimensions. These systems have cavitation speeds which take not necessarily constant values. In fact, for the potential hydrodynamic-Poisson systems, cavitation speed is a function that depends on the potential flow function and also on the electric potential.

In addition, we consider a two-dimensional boundary value problem which has been proved to have a smooth solution whose speed is uniformly bounded. In this case, we show that the pointwise sharper bound can be extended to the section of the boundary ∂Ω\∂3Ω, where ∂3Ω is called the outflow boundary. The exponent β varies between 1 and 1/8 depending on the location of x0 at the boundary and on the curvature of the boundary at x0. In particular, our estimates apply to classical viscous approximation to transonic flow models.

This paper is concerned with the blowup of positive solutions of the semilinear heat equation

with zero boundary conditions. The domain Ω is supposed to be smooth, convex and bounded. We first show that, under the assumption that the initial data are uniformly monotone near the boundary, solutions that exist on the time interval (0, T form a compact family in a suitable topology. We then derive some localisation properties of these solutions. In particular, we discuss a general criterion, independent of the initial data, which in some cases ensures single-point blowup.

The existence of periodic solutions is studied for certain singularly perturbed differential inclusions. Applications are given to dry friction problems.