Some homogenization and corrector results for nonlinear monotone operators

This paper deals with the limit behaviour of the solutions of quasi-linear equations of the form \ \ds -\limfunc{div}\left(a\left(x, x/{\varepsilon _h},Du_h\right)\right)=f_h on $\Omega$ with Dirichlet boundary conditions. The sequence $(\varepsilon _h)$ tends to $0$ and the map $a(x,y,\xi )$ is periodic in $y$, monotone in $\xi$ and satisfies suitable continuity conditions. It is proved that $u_h\rightarrow u$ weakly in $H_0^{1,2}(\Omega )$, where $u$ is the solution of a homogenized problem \ -\limfunc{div}(b(x,Du))=f on $\Omega$. We also prove some corrector results, i.e. we find $(P_h)$ such that $Du_h-P_h(Du)\rightarrow 0$ in $L^2(\Omega ,R^n)$

Correctors for some nonlinear monotone operators

In this paper we study homogenization of quasi-linear partial differential equations of the form -\mbox{div}\left( a\left( x,x/\varepsilon _h,Du_h\right) \right) =f_h on $\Omega$ with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Here the sequence $\left( \varepsilon _h\right)$ tends to $0$ as $h\rightarrow \infty$ and the map $a\left( x,y,\xi \right)$ is periodic in $y,$ monotone in $\xi$ and satisfies suitable continuity conditions. We prove that $u_h\rightarrow u$ weakly in $W_0^{1,p}\left( \Omega \right)$ as $h\rightarrow \infty ,$ where $u$ is the solution of a homogenized problem of the form -\mbox{div}\left( b\left( x,Du\right) \right) =f on $\Omega .$ We also derive an explicit expression for the homogenized operator $b$ and prove some corrector results, i.e. we find $\left( P_h\right)$ such that $Du_h-P_h\left( Du\right) \rightarrow 0$ in $L^p\left( \Omega, \mathbf{R}^n\right)$

Heat transfer in a complex medium

The heat equation is considered in the complex medium consisting of many small bodies (particles) embedded in a given material. On the surfaces of the small bodies an impedance boundary condition is imposed. An equation for the limiting field is derived when the characteristic size $a$ of the small bodies tends to zero, their total number $\mathcal{N}(a)$ tends to infinity at a suitable rate, and the distance $d = d(a)$ between neighboring small bodies tends to zero: $a << d$, $\lim_{a\to 0}\frac{a}{d(a)}=0$. No periodicity is assumed about the distribution of the small bodies. These results are basic for a method of creating a medium in which heat signals are transmitted along a given line. The technical part for this method is based on an inverse problem of finding potential with prescribed eigenvalues.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1207.056

A Method for Efficient Calculation of Diffusion and Reactions of Lipophilic Compounds in Complex Cell Geometry

A general description of effects of toxic compounds in mammalian cells is facing several problems. Firstly, most toxic compounds are hydrophobic and partition phenomena strongly influence their behaviour. Secondly, cells display considerable heterogeneity regarding the presence, activity and distribution of enzymes participating in the metabolism of foreign compounds i.e. bioactivation/biotransformation. Thirdly, cellular architecture varies greatly. Taken together, complexity at several levels has to be addressed to arrive at efficient in silico modelling based on physicochemical properties, metabolic preferences and cell characteristics. In order to understand the cellular behaviour of toxic foreign compounds we have developed a mathematical model that addresses these issues. In order to make the system numerically treatable, methods motivated by homogenization techniques have been applied. These tools reduce the complexity of mathematical models of cell dynamics considerably thus allowing to solve efficiently the partial differential equations in the model numerically on a personal computer. Compared to a compartment model with well-stirred compartments, our model affords a more realistic representation. Numerical results concerning metabolism and chemical solvolysis of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon carcinogen show good agreement with results from measurements in V79 cell culture. The model can easily be extended and refined to include more reactants, and/or more complex reaction chains, enzyme distribution etc, and is therefore suitable for modelling cellular metabolism involving membrane partitioning also at higher levels of complexity