Abstract
Selfdual variational calculus is developed further and used to address questions of existence of local and global solutions for various parabolic semi-linear equations, and Hamiltonian systems of PDEs. This allows for the resolution of such equations under general time boundary conditions which include the more traditional ones such as initial value problems, periodic and anti-periodic orbits, but also yield new ones such as “periodic orbits up to an isometry” for evolution equations that may not have periodic solutions. In the process, we introduce a method for perturbing selfdual functionals in order to induce coercivity and compactness, without destroying the selfdual character of the system.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aubin, J.-P.: Variational principles for differential equations of elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic type. In: Mathematical techniques of optimization, control and decision, pp. 31–45. Birkhäuser Boston (1981)
Auchmuty G.: Saddle points and existence-uniqueness for evolution equations. Differ. Integral Equ. 6, 1161–1171 (1993)
Auchmuty G.: Variational principles for operator equations and initial value problems. Nonlinear Anal. Theory Methods Appl. 12(5), 531–564 (1988)
Brezis H., Ekeland I.: Un principe variationnel associé à certaines equations paraboliques. Le cas independant du temps. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris Série. A 282, 971–974 (1976)
Brézis H., Ekeland I.: Un principe variationnel associé à certaines equations paraboliques. Le cas dependant du temps. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris Sér. A 282, 1197–1198 (1976)
Brezis, H., Nirenberg, L., Stampachia, G.: A remark on Ky Fan’s Minimax Principle, Bollettino U. M. I., pp. 293–300 (1972)
Barbu V.: Abstract periodic Hamiltonian systems. Adv. Differ. Equ. 1(4), 675–688 (1996)
Brezis H.: Opérateurs maximaux monotones et semi-groupes de contractions dans les espaces de Hilbert. North Holland, Amsterdam (1973)
Browder F.: Nonlinear maximal monotone operators in Banach space. Math. Annalen 175, 89–113 (1968)
Cazenave, T.: Semilinear Schrdinger equations, Courant Lecture Notes in Mathematics, vol. 10. New York University, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York; American Mathematical Society, Providence (2003), 323p
Ekeland, I., Temam, R.: Convex Analysis and Variational problems, Classics in Applied Mathematics, vol. 28, SIAM (1999 Edition)
Ekeland I.: Convexity Methods in Hamiltonian Mechanics. Springer, Berlin (1990)
Ghoussoub N.: Anti-selfdual Lagrangians: variational resolutions of non self-adjoint equations and dissipative evolutions. AIHP-Anal. Non Linéaire 24, 171–205 (2007)
Ghoussoub N.: Anti-symmetric Hamiltonians: variational resolution of Navier–Stokes equations and other nonlinear evolutions. Comm. Pure Appl. Math. 60(5), 619–653 (2007)
Ghoussoub, N.: Selfdual partial differential systems and their variational principles. Springer Monograph in Mathematics. Springer, Berlin (2008), 350p
Ghoussoub N.: A variational theory for monotone vector fields. J. Fixed Point Theory Appl. 4(1), 107–135 (2008)
Ghoussoub N., Moameni A.: Selfdual variational principles for periodic solutions of Hamiltonian and other dynamical systems. Comm. PDE 32, 771–795 (2007)
Ghoussoub, N., Moameni, A.: Anti-symmetric Hamiltonians (II): variational resolution for Navier–Stokes equations and other nonlinear evolutions. Ann. I.H.P Analyse non linéaire 26, 223–255 (2009)
Ghoussoub N., Tzou L.: A variational principle for gradient flows. Math. Annalen 30(3), 519–549 (2004)
Lemaire B.: An asymptotical variational principle associated with the steepest descent method for a convex function. J. Convex Anal. 3(1), 63–70 (1996)
Mabrouk M.: A variational approach for a semi-linear parabolic equation with measure data. Ann. Fac. Sci. Toulouse Math. (6) 9(1), 91–112 (2000)
Nayroles, B.: Deux théorèmes de minimum pour certains systèmes dissipatifs, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris Sér. A-B, 282(17):Aiv, A1035–A1038 (1976)
Phelps, R.R.: Convex functions, monotone operators and differentiability. Lecture Notes in Mathematics, vol. 1364. Springer, New York (1998), 2nd edn (1993)
Rios, H.: Étude de la question d’existence pour certains problèmes d’évolution par minimisation d’une fonctionnelle convexe, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris Sér. A-B, 283(3):Ai, A83–A86 (1976)
Showalter, R.E.: Monotone operators in Banach Space and nonlinear partial differential equations. Math. Surv. Mono. vol. 49. American Mathematical Society, Providence (1997)
Struwe M.: Variational methods and their applications to non-linear partial differential equations and Hamiltonian systems. Springer, Berlin (1990)
Telega J.J.: Extremum principles for nonpotential and initial-value problems. Arch. Mech. (Arch. Mech. Stos.) 54(5–6), 663–690 (2002)
Temam, R.: Infinite-dimensional dynamical systems in mechanics and physics. Applied Mathematical Sciences, vol. 68. Springer, Berlin (1997)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
N. Ghoussoub was partially supported by a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. A. Moameni’s research was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of British Columbia.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ghoussoub, N., Moameni, A. Hamiltonian systems of PDEs with selfdual boundary conditions. Calc. Var. 36, 85–118 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00526-009-0224-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00526-009-0224-7