Uniform finite-parameter asymptotics of solutions of nonlinear evolutionary equations (Q754062)

The authors consider evolutionary equations of the form \(\partial_ tu=A(u)\) with initial condition \(u_ 0\), where A is a nonlinear operator, typically a partial differential operator. It is assumed that the equation generates a semigroup for \(t\geq 0\) on a Banach space E and the behaviour of the solution u(t) as \(t\to \infty\) is investigated. In a number of cases the authors find a ``uniform finite-parameter asymptotics'' \(\tilde u(t)\) for u(t). This means that \(\tilde u(t)\) is a solution of the equation which depends on a finite number of parameters and such that \[ \| u(t)-\tilde u(t)\| \leq C \exp (-\eta t)\text{ for all } t\geq 0, \] where \(\eta >0\) and C depends only on \(\| u(0)\|\). In many cases the exponent \(\eta\) can be chosen arbitrarily large at the expense of increasing the number of parameters. The authors assume, among others, the following hypotheses: 1) The semigroup has only a finite number of hyperbolic equilibrium points. 2) The spectrum of the linearization about each equilibrium point can be split in two nonintersecting sets which induce a representation of the space E as the sum of two invariant subspaces. 3) One of these subspaces is finite-dimensional and there exists an associated finite-dimensional manifold which is invariant with respect to the (nonlinear) semigroup. 4) The semigroup has a global Lyapunov function. The above asymptotics is called ``spectral asymptotics'' by the authors. In the case that the operator A is linear and Fourier method is applicable, the spectral asymptotics coincides with a partial sum of Fourier series. The authors present concrete examples of parabolic semilinear systems of the form \(\partial_ tu=\Delta u-f(x,u)-g(x)\), where f is a gradient, and hyperbolic dissipative equations such as \[ \partial^ 2_ tu+\gamma \partial_ tu=\Delta u-f(u)-g(x). \] They also consider problems for which the operator A depends on a parameter (and, hence, the semigroup depends on the parameter). In the applications they include the hyperbolic equation \[ \lambda \partial^ 2_ tu+\partial_ tu=\Delta u-f(u)-g(x),\quad \lambda >0 \] which has singular dependence on the parameter \(\lambda\) as \(\lambda\to 0\). In a final section a special case of spectral asymptotics is considered. It is the case when the semigroup has an inertial manifold and it is proved that there exists an asymptotics lying on the inertial manifold.