Global gradient bounds for relaxed variational problems (Q679460)

This paper deals with Lipschitz continuity results for minimizers in \(u_0+W^{1,m}(\Omega;R^N)\) of the functional \(\int_\Omega W(Du(x))dx\), where \(\Omega\) is a bounded smooth domain in \(R^n\) and \(W(E)=F(E)+f(| E| )+\theta(E)\) for \(E\in R^{nN}\). The integrand \(F\) is strictly convex, of class \(C^2\) and satisfies a growth condition of order \(m\), \(\theta\) is a continuous function with compact support. The function \(f\) is convex, nondecreasing, of class \(C^1\) and such that \(0\leq t^{1-m}f'(t)\leq \mu\) on some interval \([L,\infty[\) with \(\mu>0\). It is proved that any solution of the relaxed problem ``minimize \(\int_\Omega QW(Du(x))dx\) in \(u_0+W^{1,m}(\Omega;R^N)\)'', is locally Lipschitz (\(QW\) is the quasiconvex envelope of \(W\)). When \(u_0\) is smooth, regularity results up to the boundary of \(\Omega\) are also proved. For related results see \textit{M. Chipot} and \textit{L. C. Evans} [Proc. R. Soc. Edinb., Sect. A 102, 291-303 (1986; Zbl 0602.49029)], \textit{M. Giaquinta} and \textit{M. Modica} [Manuscr. Math. 57, 55-99 (1986; Zbl 0607.49003)], and \textit{J. P. Raymond} [Proc. R. Soc. Edinb., Sect. A 117, No. 1/2, 59-73 (1991; Zbl 0725.49012)].