Least gradient problems with Neumann boundary condition (Q2407147)

Given a bounded open set \(\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^n\) with Lipschitz boundary, and a function \(\varphi(x,p):\;\Omega\times\mathbb{R}^n\to\mathbb{R}\) that is convex, continuous and degree \(1\) homogeneous with respect to \(p,\) the author studies existence of minimizers of the least gradient problem \[ \inf_{v\in BV_g} \int_\Omega \varphi(x,Dv), \] where \(BV_g = \{v \in BV(\Omega):\;\int_{\partial\Omega} g v = 1 \}\) with \(\int_{\partial \Omega} g d S = 0.\) It is proved that for every \(0 \not\equiv g \in L^\infty(\partial\Omega)\) there exist infinitely many minimizers in \(BV(\Omega)\). Moreover, a divergence free vector field \(T \in(L^\infty(\Omega))^n\) exists that determines the structure of thelevel sets of all minimizers, that is, \(T\) determines \(\frac{D u}{| D u |},\) \(| D u |\)-a.e. in \(\Omega\) for every minimizer \(u.\) As consequence, existence results follow for general \(1\)-Laplacian-type equations with Neumann boundary condition \[ \begin{cases} \nabla_x\cdot\nabla_p\varphi(x,\frac{Du}{|Du|}=0 & \text{in}\;\Omega,\\ \left[\nabla_p\varphi(x,\frac{Du}{|Du|},\nu_\Omega\right]=\lambda g & \text{on}\;\Omega. \end{cases} \] The author provides also a numerical algorithm that simultaneously finds \(T\) and a minimizer of the least gradient problem. Applications of the results in conductivity imaging are discussed as well.