The Dirichlet-to-Neumann operator on rough domains (Q639484)

The authors consider the \((d-1)\)-D-Neumann boundary value problem \[ \begin{cases} &\triangle u(x)=0,\;x\in\Omega\subset{\mathbb R}^d,\;d\geq 2,\\ &{{\partial u}\over{\partial\nu}}(y)=\varphi(y),\;y\in\Gamma=\partial\Omega,\end{cases}\tag{1} \] where \(\Omega\) is a bounded connected open set in \({\mathbb R}^d\) and \(\Gamma\) is the boundary of \(\Omega\), that can admit a subset \(\Gamma_0\subset \Gamma\) of non-regularity, but having a finite \((d-1)\)-dimensional Hausdorff measure: \({\mathcal H}^{d-1}(\Gamma)<\infty\). The authors define a suitable Dirichlet-to-Neumann operator \(D_0:L_2(\Gamma)\to L_2(\Gamma)\), self-adjoint and generating a contractive \(C_0\)-semigroup \(S\equiv(S_t)_{t>0}\) on \(L_2(\Gamma)\). The main result is a relation between the asymptotic behaviour of \(S_t\) as \(t\to\infty\) and the so-called properties of the trace of functions in \(H^1(\Omega)\), with respect to \(L_2(\Gamma)\). After a detailed Introduction, the paper splits into eight more sections: 2. Asymptotic behaviour of Markovian semigroups; 3. The Dirichlet-to-Neumann operator on arbitrary domains; 4. Uniqueness of trace and irreducibility; 5. Mapping properties of the trace; 6. Existence of a trace on \(\widetilde{H}^1(\Omega)\); 7. Compare trace; 8. Robin boundary conditions for the Laplacian; Examples. Reviewer's remark. This paper gives us the occasion to emphasize that all singular boundary value problems (i.e, having rough boundaries, e.g., fractals) can be solved in the framework of the algebraic topologic theory of PDEs, formulated by the reviewer of this paper (see [``(Co)bordism groups in PDEs'', Acta Appl. Math. 59, No.~2, 111--201 (1999; Zbl 0949.35011); ``Extended crystal PDE's'' (2008), \url{arXiv: 0811.3693}; ``Exotic PDE's'' (2010), \url{arXiv: 1101.0283}] and references therein). In fact, problem (1) can be recast in the geometric theory of PDEs by considering \(\triangle u=0\) as submanifold \(E_2\subset J^2_{d}(W)\) of the \(2\)-jet space \(J^2_{d}(W)\), for \(d\)-dimensional submanifolds of the trivial vector fiber bundle \(\pi:W\equiv {\mathbb R}^d\times{\mathbb R}\to M\equiv {\mathbb R}^d\), \((x^\alpha, u)\mapsto ( x^\alpha)\). Equation \(\triangle u=0\) is linear, formally integrable and completely integrable and for such an equation we can calculate its \(G\)-singular \((d-1)\)-dimensional integral bordism group \({}^G\Omega_{d-1,s}^{E_2}\), with \(G\) an abelian group. Note that such boundary value problems contain (1) as a particular case.