On the number of determining nodes for the 2D Navier-Stokes equations (Q1206829)

The authors consider a two-dimensional problem for the Navier-Stokes system with periodic boundary conditions \[ u_ t-\nu \Delta u+(u\cdot\nabla)u+\nabla p=f, \qquad \nabla\cdot u=0, \qquad x\in R^ 2, \qquad t>0,\tag{1} \] \(u(x_ 1,x_ 2,t)=u(x_ 1,x_ 2+L,t)\), \(u(x_ 1,x_ 2,t)=u(x_ 1+L,x_ 2,t)\). Let \({\mathcal E}=\{x^ 1,\dots, x^ N\}\) be a collection of points in \(\Omega=(0,L)\times (0,L)\). The set \({\mathcal E}\) is called a set of determining nodes if for any two solutions \(u\) and \(v\) of (1) satisfying \[ \lim_{t\to\infty} (u(x^ j,t)-v(x^ j,t))=0, \qquad j=1,\dots,N, \] we have \(\lim_{t\to\infty} \| u(\cdot,t)-v(\cdot,t)\|_{L^ \infty(\Omega)}=0\). Let \[ d_ N=\sup_{x\in\Omega} \min_{1\leq j\leq N} | x-x^ j|. \] The authors find a function \(\alpha(\nu,L,f)\) such that if \(d_ N<\alpha\) then \({\mathcal E}\) is a set of determining nodes. An analogous result is obtained for the stationary solution of (1).