An abstract framework for parabolic PDEs on evolving spaces (Q2340994)

This work deals with the well-posedness of a initial value problem to a parabolic equation of the form \(L\dot u+Au=f\) in \(L^2_V=\{ v:[0,T]\rightarrow \cup_{t\in [0,T]}V(t)\times\{t\}, t\mapsto (\bar v(t),t) | \phi_{-(\cdot)} \bar v(\cdot)\in L^2(0,T;V(0))\}\), where for each \(t\in [0,T]\), \(V(t)\) is a (real) separable Hilbert space and \(\phi_{-t}: V(t)\rightarrow V(0)\) is the inverse of the linear homeomorphism \(\phi_{t}: V(0)\rightarrow V(t)\) such that \(\phi_0\) is the identity. The first part (Section 2) is devoted to the characterization of the functional framework required for the statement of the problem. In particular, abstract strong and weak material derivatives in appropriate spaces of functions are formulated in analogy with the usual and weak derivatives utilised in fixed domain problems. Under suitable assumptions on \(\phi\), \(f\in L^2_V\) and the linear operators \(L\) and \(A\), if the initial datum \(u_0\in H(0)\), with \(H(t)\) being a (real) separable Hilbert space, for each \(t\in [0,T]\), such that \(V(0)\subset H(0)\) is a continuous and dense embedding, then the existence and uniqueness of solutions \(u\in L^2_V\) are established, such that \(\dot u\in L^2_{V^*}\), to the problem under study. Its proof follows from the application of the Banach-Nečas-Babuška theorem to a translated PDE with zero initial condition, taking into account the existence of a unique solution of a suitable initial value problem on a fixed domain. Finally, for \(f\in L^2_H\) and \(u_0\in V(0)\), the regularity of \(u\) in \(\{v\in L^2_V|\dot v\in L^2_H\}\) is established under additional assumptions on \(A\) and on \(V(0)\). By making recourse to the Galerkin approximation procedure, the proof of regularity as well as a sketch of a second proof of existence are presented.