Regularity estimates for the solution and the free boundary to the obstacle problem for the fractional Laplacian

We use a characterization of the fractional Laplacian as a Dirichlet to Neumann operator for an appropriate differential equation to study its obstacle problem. We write an equivalent characterization as a thin obstacle problem. In this way we are able to apply local type arguments to obtain sharp regularity estimates for the solution and study the regularity of the free boundary

Fractional elliptic equations, Caccioppoli estimates and regularity

Let $L=-\operatorname{div}_x(A(x)\nabla_x)$ be a uniformly elliptic operator in divergence form in a bounded domain $\Omega$. We consider the fractional nonlocal equations $$\begin{cases} L^su=f,&\hbox{in}~\Omega,\\ u=0,&\hbox{on}~\partial\Omega, \end{cases}\quad \hbox{and}\quad \begin{cases} L^su=f,&\hbox{in}~\Omega,\\ \partial_Au=0,&\hbox{on}~\partial\Omega. \end{cases}$$ Here $L^s$, $0<s<1$, is the fractional power of $L$ and $\partial_Au$ is the conormal derivative of $u$ with respect to the coefficients $A(x)$. We reproduce Caccioppoli type estimates that allow us to develop the regularity theory. Indeed, we prove interior and boundary Schauder regularity estimates depending on the smoothness of the coefficients $A(x)$, the right hand side $f$ and the boundary of the domain. Moreover, we establish estimates for fundamental solutions in the spirit of the classical result by Littman--Stampacchia--Weinberger and we obtain nonlocal integro-differential formulas for $L^su(x)$. Essential tools in the analysis are the semigroup language approach and the extension problem.Comment: 37 page

Traveling Wave Solutions of Advection-Diffusion Equations with Nonlinear Diffusion

We study the existence of particular traveling wave solutions of a nonlinear parabolic degenerate diffusion equation with a shear flow. Under some assumptions we prove that such solutions exist at least for propagation speeds c {\in}]c*, +{\infty}, where c* > 0 is explicitly computed but may not be optimal. We also prove that a free boundary hy- persurface separates a region where u = 0 and a region where u > 0, and that this free boundary can be globally parametrized as a Lipschitz continuous graph under some additional non-degeneracy hypothesis; we investigate solutions which are, in the region u > 0, planar and linear at infinity in the propagation direction, with slope equal to the propagation speed.Comment: 40 pages, 1 figur

Nonlinear porous medium flow with fractional potential pressure

We study a porous medium equation, with nonlocal diffusion effects given by an inverse fractional Laplacian operator. We pose the problem in n-dimensional space for all t>0 with bounded and compactly supported initial data, and prove existence of a weak and bounded solution that propagates with finite speed, a property that is nor shared by other fractional diffusion models.Comment: 32 pages, Late

A logarithmic epiperimetric inequality for the obstacle problem

For the general obstacle problem, we prove by direct methods an epiperimetric inequality at regular and singular points, thus answering a question of Weiss (Invent. Math., 138 (1999), 23--50). In particular at singular points we introduce a new tool, which we call logarithmic epiperimetric inequality, which yields an explicit logarithmic modulus of continuity on the $C^1$ regularity of the singular set, thus improving previous results of Caffarelli and Monneau

Optimal regularity and structure of the free boundary for minimizers in cohesive zone models

We study optimal regularity and free boundary for minimizers of an energy functional arising in cohesive zone models for fracture mechanics. Under smoothness assumptions on the boundary conditions and on the fracture energy density, we show that minimizers are $C^{1, 1/2}$, and that near non-degenerate points the fracture set is $C^{1, \alpha}$, for some $\alpha \in (0, 1)$.Comment: 39 page

A rigorous analysis using optimal transport theory for a two-reflector design problem with a point source

We consider the following geometric optics problem: Construct a system of two reflectors which transforms a spherical wavefront generated by a point source into a beam of parallel rays. This beam has a prescribed intensity distribution. We give a rigorous analysis of this problem. The reflectors we construct are (parts of) the boundaries of convex sets. We prove existence of solutions for a large class of input data and give a uniqueness result. To the author's knowledge, this is the first time that a rigorous mathematical analysis of this problem is given. The approach is based on optimal transportation theory. It yields a practical algorithm for finding the reflectors. Namely, the problem is equivalent to a constrained linear optimization problem.Comment: 5 Figures - pdf files attached to submission, but not shown in manuscrip