Skip to main content
Log in

The obstacle problem for the porous medium equation

  • Published:
Mathematische Annalen Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We prove existence results for the obstacle problem related to the porous medium equation. For sufficiently regular obstacles, we find continuous solutions whose time derivative belongs to the dual of a parabolic Sobolev space. We also employ the notion of weak solutions and show that for more general obstacles, such a weak solution exists. The latter result is a consequence of a stability property of weak solutions with respect to the obstacle.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alt, H., Luckhaus, S.: Quasilinear elliptic-parabolic differential equations. Math. Z. 183(3), 311–341 (1983)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  2. Bögelein, V., Duzaar, F., Mingione, G.: Degenerate problems with irregular obstacles. J. Reine Angew. Math. 650, 107–160 (2011)

    MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  3. Bögelein, V., Scheven, C.: Higher integrability in parabolic obstacle problems. Forum Math. 24(5), 931–972 (2012)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  4. Casado-Díaz, J., Murat, F., Porretta, A.: Uniqueness results for pseudomonotone problems with \(p>2\). C. R. Math. Acad. Sci. Paris 344(8), 487–492 (2007)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  5. Daskalopoulos, P., Kenig, C.E.: Degenerate Diffusions-Initial Value Problems and Local Regularity Theory. European Mathematical Society (EMS), Zürich (2007)

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. DiBenedetto, E.: Degenerate Parabolic Equations. Springer Universitext, Springer, New York (1993)

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. DiBenedetto, E., Gianazza, U., Vespri, V.: Harnack’s Inequality for Degenerate and Singular Parabolic Equations. Springer Monographs in Mathematics. Springer, New York (2012)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  8. DiBenedetto, E., Friedman, A.: Hölder estimates for nonlinear degenerate parabolic systems. J. Reine Angew. Math. 357, 1–22 (1985)

    MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  9. Hajłasz, P.: Pointwise Hardy inequalities. Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 127(2), 417–423 (1999)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Hedberg, L.I.: On certain convolution inequalities. Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 36, 505–510 (1972)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  11. Heinonen, J., Kilpeläinen, T., Martio, O.: Nonlinear Potential Theory of Degenerate Elliptic Equations. Oxford University Press, Oxford (1993)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. Kinnunen, J., Lindqvist, P.: Definition and properties of supersolutions to the porous medium equation. J. Reine Angew. Math. 618, 135–168 (2008)

    MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  13. Kinnunen, J., Martio, O.: Hardy’s inequalities for Sobolev functions. Math. Res. Lett. 4(4), 489–500 (1997)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  14. Kinnunen, J., Lindqvist, P., Lukkari, T.: Perron’s method for the porous medium equation. J. Eur. Math. Soc. (to appear) Available at http://arxiv.org/abs/1401.4277

  15. Korte, R., Kuusi, T., Siljander, J.: Obstacle problem for nonlinear parabolic equations. J. Differ. Equ. 246(9), 3668–3680 (2009)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  16. Lindqvist, P.: On the definition and properties of \(p\)-superharmonic functions. J. Reine Angew. Math. 365, 67–79 (1986)

    MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  17. Lindqvist, P., Parviainen, M.: Irregular time dependent obstacles. J. Funct. Anal. 263(8), 2458–2482 (2012)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  18. Lions, J.-L.: Quelques méthodes de résolution des problèmes aux limites non linéaires. Dunod (1969)

  19. Naumann, J.: Einführung in die Theorie parabolischer Variationsungleichungen, vol. 64 of Teubner-Texte zur Mathematik. BSB B.G. Teubner Verlagsgesellschaft, Leipzig (1984)

  20. Scheven, C.: Existence of localizable solutions to nonlinear parabolic problems with irregular obstacles. Manuscripta Math. 146(1–2), 7–63 (2015)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  21. Vázquez, J.L.: The Porous Medium Equation: Mathematical Theory. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Wu, Z., Zhao, J., Yin, J., Li, H.: Nonlinear Diffusion Equations. World Scientific Publishing Co. Inc., River Edge (2001)

    Book  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the warm hospitality of the Institut Mittag-Leffler in the Fall 2013 during the program “Evolutionary problems”, during which we initiated our collaboration on this paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Teemu Lukkari.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bögelein, V., Lukkari, T. & Scheven, C. The obstacle problem for the porous medium equation. Math. Ann. 363, 455–499 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00208-015-1174-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00208-015-1174-3

Mathematics Subject Classification

Navigation