Finite-dimensional attractors for the Kirchhoff equation with a strong dissipation (Q615925)

The Kirchhoff equation was introduced to study oscillations of initially stretched finite elastic string. The wave velocity is proportional to the integral of the square of displacement gradient along the string. A dissipation term depending on the velocity field is added in viscoelastic materials. The authors consider a generalisation of this equation on a bounded domain in \(N\)-dimensonal Euclidean space. The wave velocity is a given function of the Lebesgue norm of order 2 of the displacement gradients in that domain. The equation also contains a linear dissipation term, a strong dissipation term prescribed by a given function, and a function of displacement field and a forcing term depending on spatial variables. The displacement field is supposed to vanish at the boundary of the region. Initial conditions on displacement and velocity fields are given. The authors study the infinite-dimensional dynamical system associated with that Kirchhoff type equation which is actually an integro-differential hyperbolic equation. By ingeniously employing properties of appropriate Sobolev and Hilbert spaces they show that the system possesses under some assumptions a global attractor of a finite fractal dimension and an exponential attractor.