Nonlinear diffusion with absorption (Q1368570)

The author studies the problem \[ u- \text{div }a(\cdot, \text{grad }u)+ \partial j(\cdot, u)\ni f\quad\text{on }\Omega,\quad u|_{\partial\Omega}= 0,\leqno E(j,f) \] where \(j:\Omega\times \mathbb{R}\to[0,\infty)\) is convex l.s.c. in \(r\in\mathbb{R}\) with \(j(\cdot,0)= 0\) [the absorption term is \(\partial j\) as subgradient of \(j\)]. The author establishes the uniqueness of so-called (natural) generalized solutions of \(E(j,f)\) and the continuous dependence of these solutions upon ``regular'' \(j\) and \(f\). The proof is based on a uniqueness result for strong solutions of \(E(0,f)\) (without adsorption) under very general assumptions, on \textit{P. Bénilan} and \textit{M. G. Crandall's} theory of completely accretive operators [Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. Delft 1989, Lect. Notes Pure Appl. Math. 135, 41-75 (1991)], and on his recent results on equations with nonlinear absorption [\textit{P. Wittbold}, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Sér. I 319, 573-577 (1994; Zbl 0816.47069)]. In Section 3 by the capacity theory in \(W^{1,p}_0(\Omega)\)-Sobolev spaces, the author establishes the complete characterization of generalized solutions which are essentially bounded. Further, in Section 4, he introduces the notion of an ``asymptotic regular'' functional \(J\), and proves, by this term and capacity methods, the existence of a strong solution of \(E(j,f)\) as well as a complete characterization of ``asymptotic regular'' and ``regular'' functionals \(j\).