A boundary-value problem for nematic liquid crystals with a variable degree of orientation (Q1814193)

Ericksen's new theory for liquid crystals aims to overcome the difficulties that arise within the classical theory of Oseen, Zocher and Frank when the orientation field exhibits defects other than isolated points [see \textit{J. Ericksen}, ibid. 113, No. 2, 97-120 (1991; Zbl 0729.76008)]. The authors employ an energy functional that is consistent with Ericksen's and is much simpler. They consider a variational problem in which both the orientation and the degree of orientation are prescribed on the boundary of the container filled with the liquid crystal, when the container is bounded by two parallel plates. This three-dimensional problem is reduced to a one-dimensional problem and is solved completely. They prove that minimizers of this problem exist in a class of functions smooth everywhere except in the singular set, where the degree of orientation vanishes. Furthermore they prove that this singular set is empty or a plane depending on the values of the parameters. The related topics are studied in the following papers: \textit{V. J. Mizel}, \textit{D. Roccato} and \textit{E. G. Virga} [ibid. 116, No. 2, 115-138 (1991)], \textit{E. G. Virga} [``New variational problems in the statics of liquid crystals'', IMA Preprint Ser. 737 (Dec. 1990)], and \textit{F. H. Lin} [Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 44, No. 4, 453-468 (1991)].