Sensitivity analysis for the 2D Navier-Stokes equations with applications to continuous data assimilation (Q2230554)

The authors investigate sensitivity of solutions to the periodic 2D incompressible Navier-Stokes equations on the plane with respect to the viscosity. Let the initial data and the forcing for Navier-Stokes equations are fixed. A convergent sequence of viscosities is introduced \(\nu_n \to \nu\), as \(n\) tends to infinity. Let \(u\) and \(u_n\) be weak solutions to the corresponding problems with \(\nu_n \to \nu\), respectively. Next, the sensitivity equations are constructed using a derivative of Navier-Stokes equations with respect to the viscosity. Global existence and uniqueness to strong or weak solutions to the sensitivity equations in the natural case of zero initial data has been proved.