Saddle-points and existence-uniqueness for evolution equations (Q1308523)

Variational and saddle-point characterizations of solutions of nonlinear evolution equations of the form: \[ u_ t + \partial \varphi \bigl( t,u(t) \bigr) \ni f(t), \quad 0<t<T; \qquad u(0) = u_ 0 \] are analyzed through an extension of the Brezis-Ekeland variational principle [\textit{H. Brezis} and \textit{I. Ekeland}, C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Sér A 282, 1197- 1198 (1976; Zbl 0334.35040)]. More precisely, the author shows how solutions of these evolution problems may be described as saddle points of a certain convex-concave functional. This functional does not require knowledge of the Green function and, in the case of second order parabolic operators, it is an ordinary integral of the unknown function and its first derivatives. Under natural structure conditions, the author proves direct results for these saddle points. In particular, existence- uniqueness theorems are derived for quasilinear parabolic operators that do not arise as the Euler-Lagrange functionals of standard integrals of the calculus of variations, but they may be described by saddle point problems for locally defined functionals.