Regular vector-fields in Banach spaces (Q2518178)

With a continuous, convex function \(f\) on a Banach space \(X\) one associates the set \(\mathcal A\) of mappings \(V:X\to X\) such that \(f^0(x,Vx)\leq 0\), \(x\in X\), where \(f^0(x,u)\) is the righthand derivative of \(f\) at \(x\) in direction \(u\). The aim of the paper is to discuss regularity properties of such mappings \(V\) which in turn give rise to convergent discrete descent methods. More explicitly one is given a Banach space \(X\), \(\|\;\|\). With \({\mathcal U}\subseteq X\) open and \(f:{\mathcal U}\to R\) locally Lipschitz one associates the Clark derivative \(f^0\) via \[ f^0(x,h)=\limsup_{t\to 0^+,y\to x}t^{-1}(fry+th)-f(y)), \] where \(x\in {\mathcal U}\), \(h\in X\). One also sets \[ H_f(x)=\inf\{f^0(x,h);\;h\in X,\;\|h\|\leq 1\}. \] Finally, a sequence \(\phi_n:[0,\infty)\to [0,\infty)\), \(n\geq 1\) has property (P) if: (a) each \(\phi_n\) is increasing and satisfies \(\phi_n(0)=0\), (b) given \(\varepsilon>0\) and \(n\) there is \(\delta>0\) as follows: if \(t\geq 0\) satisfies \(\phi_n(t)\leq \delta\), then \(t\leq \varepsilon\). A mapping \(V: X\to X\) is now called regular with respect to \(f\) if \(V\) is bounded on bounded sets, satisfies \(f(x,Vx)\leq 0\) for \(x\in X\), and if for any \(n\in N\) there is \(\delta>0\) such that if \(\|x\|\leq n\) and \(f(x)\geq \inf(f)+n^{-1}\), then \(f^0(x,Vx)\leq -\delta\). Based on this setting, the authors prove four theorems. In case of the first (Thm. 1.1) one is given a convex continuous function \(f:X\to R\) which is bounded from below, and an \(x_0\in X\) such that for every sequence \(y_j\in X\), \(j\geq 1\) such that \(\lim_jf(y_j)=f(x_0)\), one has \(\lim y_j=x_0\). The theorem now asserts that if \(V: X\to X\) is bounded on bounded subsets of \(X\), satisfies \(f^0(x,Vx)\leq 0\) for \(x\in X\), and admits a family of functions \(\phi_n\), \(n\geq 1\) having property (P) such that \[ f^0(x,Vx)\leq -\phi_n(-H_f(x))\text{ for }\|x\|\leq n, \] then \(V\) is regular. The other three theorems express further properties of \(f\), \(V\). The proofs of these theorems are based on preparatory propositions, some of independent interest.