No label defined (Q3977474)

[For the entire collection see Zbl 0676.00010.] The homogenization of the equation \(\text{div}[|\text{grad } u|^{p-2} \text{grad } u]=f\) is considered in a periodically ``perforated'' domain, in which a periodic array of spheres of small radius has been removed. The boundary condition on the boundary of the removed spheres is \(u=0\). Such a problem is a generalization of the linear problem for Laplace's equation, which corresponds to \(p=2\), and was studied by \textit{D. Cioranescu} and \textit{F. Murat} [Nonlinear partial differential equations and their applications. Vol. II, Res. Notes Math. 60, 98-138 (1982; Zbl 0496.35030); and ibid. Vol. III, Res. Notes Math. 70, 154-178 (1982; Zbl 0498.35034)], as well as other authors. As in the linear case, it is shown that there exists a critical ratio between the radii of the spheres and their separation, that results in a homogenized problem with a lower-order term. In such a case, the homogenized equation takes the form \(\text{div}[|\text{grad } u|^{p-2}\text{grad } u]+ C| u|^{p-2}\cdot u=f\), and the collective effect of the small obstacles results in a nonlinear lower-order term. Roughly speaking, the density of holes that results in a nontrivial limit is such that the ``\(p\)-capacity'' of the aggregate of small spheres remains of order one in the limiting process.