No label defined (Q4941786)

Questions of minimization of functionals arise in many areas of mathematics. The author presents an introduction to the analytic approaches, based on a combination of operator theory, calculus of variations, and infinite-dimensional topology. The first chapter is concerned with the simplest minimization conditions, based on coercitivity and lower semicontinuity. The example of a second-order nonlinear ordinary differential equation is first mentioned here, and is discussed further in later chapters. The second chapter is concerned with the simplest situations of linking, such as the mountain pass theorem and the saddle-point theorem (of Ambrosetti and Rabinowitz). The approach here is based on Clark's deformation theorem. Chapter 3 is concerned with Lyusternik-Schnirelman theory for even functionals. Here the author introduces the Palais-Smale condition (PS) and uses Krasnoselskii's notion of genus rather than the Lyusternik-Schnirelman category. An application is given to odd superlinear problems for a second-order ordinary differential equation with a periodic boundary condition. In Chapter 4 the author turns to Morse theory. He presents the usual material of gradient deformations and the Morse inequalities as well as theorems on nondegenerate functions. The treatment is infinite-dimensional. The author then discusses the relations between Morse theory and linking theorems, especially concerning the index of saddle points. The final chapter is concerned with applications of Morse theory to, e.g., the homology of complex projective space, systems of second-order ordinary differential equations, nontrivial solutions of dynamical systems with a subquadratic potential, and others. The exposition is clear with detailed proofs of most things, and the book includes numerous exercises.