On Maxwell's and Poincaré's constants (Q479119)

The author studies lower and upper estimates of the Maxwell constant, i.e. the constant \(c_m\) such that (\( \operatorname{rot} = \operatorname{curl}\)) \[ \int_\Omega| v|^2 dx \leq c_m^2 \int_\Omega(|\operatorname{rot}v|^2 + \operatorname{div}v|^2) dx \] for any \(v\) with square integrable \(\operatorname{rot}v\) and \(\operatorname{div}v\) with either normal and tangential component of the velocity zero such that it is orthonormal to any function with zero \(\operatorname{rot}\) and \(\operatorname{curl}\) and zero the corresponding velocity component. He proves that for any bounded convex \(\Omega \subset \mathbb R^3\) with Lipschitz boundary \[ c_{p,0} \leq c_m \leq c_p \leq \operatorname{diam} \Omega/\pi \] where \[ \int_\Omega| u|^2 dx \leq c_{p,0}^2 \int_\Omega|\nabla u|^2 dx \] for any \(u\) with square integrable gradient and zero trace on the boundary, and \[ \int_\Omega | u|^2 dx \leq c_p^2 \int_\Omega| \nabla u|^2 dx \] for any \(u\) with square integrable gradient and zero mean value over \(\Omega\). The proof is based on the Maxwell estimates. It is closely connected with an estimate of the second Maxwell eigenvalue. The proof of the corresponding result in two space dimensions, which has been known before, is presented in the Appendix.