Stabilization of solutions for a class of degenerate equations in divergence form in one space dimension (Q1119817)

Let X be a bounded space with a partial order defined by a cone K being regular, i.e. each bounded monotone sequence converges in X; minihedral, i.e. for each \(x,y\in X\) there exists unique lower bound \(z=\inf (x,y)\); and admitting a strictly monotone functional J: \(X\to R.\) A semidynamical system S(t) on X is given, that is S(t) is one-parameter family of maps from X into itself, parametrized by \(t\in R^+\) satisfying: S(t): \(X\to X\) is continuous for each \(t\geq 0;\) \(S(t+\tau)f=S(t)S(\tau)f\) for \(t\geq 0\), \(\tau\geq 0\) and \(f\in X;\) S(.)f: [0,\(\infty)\to X\) is continuous for each \(f\in X.\) The family S(t) is supposed to be order preserving, i.e. \(f\leq g\) implies \(S(t)f\leq S(t)g\) for \(t\geq 0.\) An element \(f\in X\) is said to be a supersolution if S(t)f\(\leq f\) for all \(t\geq 0\) and subsolution if S(t)f\(\geq f\) for all \(t\geq 0\). The sets \(\Sigma_ p\) and \(\sigma_ p\), \(p\in X\), are defined respectively as the set of all supersolutions \(\rho\geq p\) and the set of all subsolutions \(\rho\leq p.\) The upper Lyapunov operator \(\bar V\) is given by dom \(\bar V=\{p\in X\); \(\Sigma_ p\neq \emptyset \}\), \(\bar V(p)\) is the minimal element of \(\Sigma_ p\) and dom \b{V}\(=\{p\in X\); \(\sigma_ p\neq \emptyset \}\), \b{V}(p) is the maximal element of \(\sigma_ p.\) The following invariance principle in abstract setting is established: Let \(u\in dom V\) (V stands for \(\bar V\) or \b{V}). Suppose the orbit \(\gamma (u)=\{S(t)u;t\geq 0\}\) is relatively compact and bounded below. Suppose that the trajectory through any point of the \(\omega\)-limit set \[ \omega (u)=\{v\in X;\quad v=\lim_{n\to \infty} S(t_ n)u\quad for\quad some\quad t_ n\to \infty \} \] is Lyapunov stable. Then V takes the same value on \(\omega\) (u). This principle is applied to continuous contraction, strongly monotone systems on a Hilbert space and to a class of \(L^ 1\)-contraction monotone semigroups generated by degenerate equations in divergence form in one dimensional space.