Nonlinear parabolic capacity and polar sets of superparabolic functions (Q2377360)

The thermal capacity for the ordinary heat equation can be extended in several ways to the evolutionary \(p\)-Laplace equation \[ {\partial u\over\partial t}= \text{div}(|\nabla u|^{p-2}\nabla u). \] The authors employ the same approach as \textit{L. C. Evans} and \textit{R. F. Gariepy} [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 78, 293--314 (1982; Zbl 0508.35038)]. Thus an auxiliary Radon measure \(\mu\) is introduced, and the equation \[ {\partial u\over\partial t}- \text{div}(|\nabla u|^{p-2}\nabla u)= \mu \] is solved at an intermediate step. The properties of the defined capacity are carefully studied. In particular, the polar sets are characterized. Also more general equations of the type \[ {\partial u\over\partial t}= \text{div\,}\mathbb{A}(x,t,\nabla u) \] are included.