No label defined (Q4435600)

The authors consider the following boundary value problem for the heat equation in the non-cylindrical domain \(\widehat{Q}= \bigcup_{0<t<T} \{ \Omega_{t}\times \{ t\}\}\): \[ u'-\Delta u=f \text{ for }(x,t)\in \widehat{Q}; \quad u=0 \text{ for } (x,t)\in \widehat{\Sigma};\quad u(x,0)=u_0(x) \text{ for }x\in \Omega. \] Here, \(\widehat{\Sigma}\) is the lateral boundary of \(\widehat{Q}\). The open sets \(\Omega_t\) of \({\mathbb R}^n\) are assumed to be mapped into a reference domain \(\Omega\) by means of a \(C^2\)-diffeomorphism \(\tau_t :\Omega\to \Omega_t\). Moreover, the diffeomorphisms \(\tau_t\) depend on \(t\) in a \(C^1\) way. Existence and uniqueness of strong, weak and ultra-weak (defined by transposition) solutions are analyzed. Then, the authors discuss approximate and null controllability properties of solutions of the given system where the control acts in the form \(f=h\chi{q}\), \(q\) being an open, non-empty subset of \(Q\). The null controllability property is derived from the corresponding observability inequality for the adjoint system. Making an appropriate change of variables, the new observability inequality is associated to a variable coefficient equation and follows from a result of \textit{O. Yu. Imanuvilov} and \textit{M. Yamamoto} [Lect. Notes Pure Appl. Math. 218, 113--137 (2001; Zbl 0977.93041)].