Regularity for Orlicz phase problems (Q6986768)

Let \(\Omega\) be a bounded domain in \(\mathbb{R}^n\), \(n\in\mathbb{N}\setminus\{1\}\), and consider functionals of the type\N\[\NW^{1,1}(\Omega)\ni v\mapsto\mathcal{F}(v,\Omega):=\int_\Omega F(x,v,Dv)\mathrm{d}x,\N\]\Nwhere \(F:\Omega\times\mathbb{R}\times\mathbb{R}^n\rightarrow\mathbb{R}\) is a Carathéodory function satisfying the double-sided bound\N\[\N\nu\Psi(x,|z|)\leq F(x,y,z)\leq L\Psi(x,|z|)\qquad\mbox{in }\Omega\times\mathbb{R}\times\mathbb{R}^n,\N\]\Nfor some \(L\geq\nu>0\), where\N\[\N\Psi(x,t):=G(t)+a(x)H_a(t)+b(x)H_b(t),\qquad(x,t)\in\Omega\times[0,\infty),\N\]\Nfor sufficiently smooth Young functions \(G,H_a,H_b\) possessing superlinear indexes (see Definition 2.1) and nonnegative \(a\in C^{0,\alpha}(\Omega),b\in C^{0,\beta}(\Omega)\), \(\alpha,\beta\in(0,1]\).\N\NA function \(u\in W^{1,1}_{\mathrm{loc}}(\Omega)\) is a \textit{local minimizer} of the above functional if\N\begin{itemize}\N\item[\(\bullet\)] \(\Psi(x,|Du|)\in L^1(\Omega)\), and\N\item[\(\bullet\)] \(\mathcal{F}(u,\mathrm{supp}\{u-v\})\leq\mathcal{F}(v,\mathrm{supp}\{u-v\})\) for all \(v\in W^{1,1}_{\mathrm{loc}}(\Omega)\) with \(\mathrm{supp}\{u-v\}\) compactly contained in \(\Omega\).\N\end{itemize}\NSet\N\[\N\Lambda(s,t):=\frac{s^\alpha}{1+s^\alpha}\frac{H_a(t)}{G(t)}+\frac{s^\beta}{1+s^\beta}\frac{H_b(t)}{G(t)},\qquad s,t>0.\N\]\NUnder minimal/natural smoothness, convexity, monotonicity, growth and other structural conditions on \(F\) (hence on \(H_a,H_b,G\)), the authors provide several optimal regularity results for local minimizers \(u\) which lie in the Musielak-Orlicz-Sobolev space \(W^{1,\Psi}(\Omega)\). For instance,\N\begin{itemize}\N\item[(i)] if \(\sup_{t>0}\Lambda(t,G^{-1}(t^{-n}))<\infty\), where \(G^{-1}\) is the inverse function of \(G\), then\N\[\Nu\in C^{0,\theta}_{\mathrm{loc}}\mbox{ for every }\theta\in(0,1),\qquad Du\in C^{0,\theta}_{\mathrm{loc}}\mbox{ for some }\theta\in(0,1).\N\]\N\item[(ii)] If in addition \(u\) is bounded, then the conclusions of \((i)\) are true, provided\N\[\N\sup_{t>0}\Lambda(t,t^{-1})<\infty.\N\]\N\end{itemize}\NThe case \(a\in C^{\omega_\alpha}(\Omega)\) and \(b\in C^{\omega_\beta}(\Omega)\), where \(\omega_\alpha\) and \(\omega_\beta\) are real functions satisfying conditions that makes them moduli of continuity, is also investigated. This changes the definition of \(\Lambda\) accordingly.