The variable coefficient thin obstacle problem: Carleman inequalities

DOI10.1016/J.AIM.2016.06.023MaRDI QIDQ305740zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Herbert Koch, Angkana Rüland, Wenhui Shi

Publication date 30 August 2016

Published in Advances in Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1501.04496

zbMATH Keywords

almost optimal regularityCarleman estimatesthin free boundaryvariable coefficient Signorini problemvariable coefficient thin obstacle problem

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Free boundary problems for PDEs (35R35)

Abstract: In this article we present a new strategy of addressing the (variable coefficient) thin obstacle problem. Our approach is based on a (variable coefficient) Carleman estimate. This yields semi-continuity of the vanishing order, lower and uniform upper growth bounds of solutions and sufficient compactness properties in order to carry out a blow-up procedure. Moreover, the Carleman estimate implies the existence of homogeneous blow-up limits along certain sequences and ultimately leads to an almost optimal regularity statement. As it is a very robust tool, it allows us to consider the problem in the setting of Sobolev metrics, i.e. the coefficients are only $W^{1,p}$ regular for some $p>n+1$. These results provide the basis for our further analysis of the free boundary, the optimal ($C^{1,1/2}$-) regularity of solutions and a first order asymptotic expansion of solutions at the regular free boundary which is carried out in a follow-up article in the framework of $W^{1,p}$, $p>2(n+1)$, regular coefficients.

Review text

The authors obtain an almost optimal regularity for the variable coefficient thin obstacle problem by proving a Carleman estimate.NEWLINENEWLINETo describe the variable coefficient thin obstacle, let \(a^{ij}:B_1^+=\{x\in B_1\subset \mathbb{R}^{n+1} \;| \;x_{n+1}\geq 0\} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}_{\mathrm{sym}}^{(n+1)\times (n+1)}\) be a symmetric, uniformly elliptic tensor field which is \(W^{1,p}\), for \(p> n+1\), regular. The authors consider local minimizers of NEWLINE\[NEWLINE J(w)= \int_{B_1^+}a^{ij}(\partial_iw)(\partial_jw)dx, NEWLINE\]NEWLINE for \(w\in \mathcal{K}=\{v\in H^1(B_1^+) \;| \;v\geq 0 \text{ on } B_1'=B_1^+\cap\{x_{n+1}=0\}\}\).NEWLINENEWLINEThe key ingredient of this paper is a Carleman estimate for the solution of the problem at hand. Such estimate yields sufficient compactness properties to carry out a blow-up procedure with a non-trivial limit satisfying a constant coefficient thin obstacle problem. Furthermore, the Carleman estimate implies the existence of homogeneous blow-up limits along certain sequences, which then leads to an almost optimal regularity of the solution.NEWLINENEWLINEThis paper continues the work developed by \textit{N. Guillen} [Calc. Var. Partial Differ. Equ. 36, No. 4, 533--546 (2009; Zbl 1180.35579)] where optimal regularity was proved when the coefficients are in \(C^{1,\gamma}\), for \(\gamma>0\), and by \textit{N. Garofalo} and \textit{M. Smit Vega Garcia} [Adv. Math. 262, 682--750 (2014; Zbl 1295.35155)] where optimal regularity was obtained for coefficients in \(C^{0,1}\).

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Cited in

(21)

• The variable coefficient thin obstacle problem: higher regularity
• Optimal regularity for the thin obstacle problem with \(C^{0,\alpha }\) coefficients
• Almost minimizers for the thin obstacle problem
• Higher regularity for the Signorini problem for the homogeneous, isotropic Lamé system
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• Fractional thoughts
• Energy derivative for a construction consisting of a Timoshenko plate and a thin beam
• Almost minimizers for the thin obstacle problem with variable coefficients
• On the free boundary for thin obstacle problems with Sobolev variable coefficients

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