A nonlocal inverse problem for a mixed-type equation (Q646862)

The authors deal with the identification problem related to the rectangle \(D=(0,1)\times (-\alpha,\beta)\), \(\alpha,\beta\in {\mathbb R}_+\), consisting in searching for two functions \(u:D\to {\mathbb R}\) and \(f:(0,1)\to {\mathbb R}\) satisfying \[ u\in C^1({\overline D})\cap C^2((0,1)\times ([-\alpha,0)\cup (0,\beta])),\;D_yu\in C^2(D_-\cup D_+), \tag{1} \] \[ f\in C(0,1), \tag{2} \] \[ D_x^2u(x,y)+({\text sign}\,y)D_y^2u(x,y)=f(x),\;(x,y)\in (0,1)\times ([-\alpha,0)\cup (0,\beta]), \tag{3} \] \[ u(0,y)=u(1,y),\quad D_xu(0,y)=0,\quad -\alpha\leq y\leq \beta, \tag{4} \] \[ u(x,\beta)=\varphi(x),\quad u(x,-\alpha)=\psi(x),\quad 0\leq x\leq 1, \tag{5} \] \[ D_yu(x,-\alpha)=\chi(x),\quad 0\leq x\leq 1. \tag{6} \] Here \(D_-=(0,1)\times (-\alpha,0)\) and \(D_+=(0,1)\times (0,\beta)\), \(\varphi,\psi,\chi:(0,1)\to {\mathbb R}\) being sufficiently smooth functions. Using expansions by biorthogonal functions, the authors can represent \(u\) and \(f\) in terms of the data under the following solvability conditions: \[ \Delta_{\alpha,\beta}(0)=-\alpha^2-2\alpha\beta+\beta^2\neq 0, \tag{7} \] \[ \Delta_{\alpha,\beta}(k)=-\cos(\lambda_k\alpha)\cosh(\lambda_k\beta)+\sin(\lambda_k\alpha)\sinh(\lambda_k\beta)+1 \neq 0,\quad k\in {\mathbb N}, \tag{8} \] where \(\lambda_0=0\) and \(\lambda_k=2k\pi\), \(k\in {\mathbb N}\). \noindent Under conditions (7), (8) and \[ |\Delta_{\alpha,\beta}(k)|\geq C_0e^{\lambda_k\beta} \tag{9} \] and suitable assumptions on the data the authors prove that the identification problem (1)--(6) admits a unique solution. They also show that condition (9) holds for large enough \(k\) and for all \(\beta>0\) provided either \(\alpha=p\in {\mathbb N}\) or \(\alpha=p/q\), \(p,q\in {\mathbb N}\), \((p,q)=1\) and \((q,4)=1\).