Differential Geometric Methods In The Control Of Partial Differential Equations

This volume contains selected papers that were presented at the AMS-IMS-SIAM Joint Summer Research Conference on "Differential Geometric Methods in the Control of Partial Differential Equations", which was held at the University of Colorado in Boulder in June 1999. The aim of the conference was to explore the infusion of differential-geometric methods into the analysis of control theory of partial differential equations, particularly in the challenging case of variable coefficients, where the physical characteristics of the medium vary from point to point. While a mutually profitable link has been long established, for at least 30 years, between differential geometry and control of ordinary differential equations, a comparable relationship between differential geometry and control of partial differential equations (PDEs) is a new and promising topic. Very recent research, just prior to the Colorado conference, supported the expectation that differential geometric methods, when brought to bear on classes of PDE modelling and control problems with variable coefficients, will yield significant mathematical advances. The papers included in this volume - written by specialists in PDEs and control of PDEs as well as by geometers - collectively support the claim that the aims of the conference are being fulfilled. In particular, they endorse the belief that both subjects-differential geometry and control of PDEs-have much to gain by closer interaction with one another. Consequently, further research activities in this area are bound to grow.

This IMA Volume in Mathematics and its Applications GEOMETRIC METHODS IN INVERSE PROBLEMS AND PDE CONTROL contains a selection of articles presented at 2001 IMA Summer Program with the same title. We would like to thank Christopher B. Croke (University of Penn sylva nia), Irena Lasiecka (University of Virginia), Gunther Uhlmann (University of Washington), and Michael S. Vogelius (Rutgers University) for their ex cellent work as organizers of the two-week summer workshop and for editing the volume. We also take this opportunity to thank the National Science Founda tion for their support of the IMA. Series Editors Douglas N. Arnold, Director of the IMA Fadil Santosa, Deputy Director of the IMA v PREFACE This volume contains a selected number of articles based on lectures delivered at the IMA 2001 Summer Program on "Geometric Methods in Inverse Problems and PDE Control. " The focus of this program was some common techniques used in the study of inverse coefficient problems and control problems for partial differential equations, with particular emphasis on their strong relation to fundamental problems of geometry. Inverse coef ficient problems for partial differential equations arise in many application areas, for instance in medical imaging, nondestructive testing, and geophys ical prospecting. Control problems involving partial differential equations may arise from the need to optimize a given performance criterion, e. g. , to dampen out undesirable vibrations of a structure , or more generally, to obtain a prescribed behaviour of the dynamics.

This book emphasizes the interdisciplinary interaction in problems involving geometry and partial differential equations. It provides an attempt to follow certain threads that interconnect various approaches in the geometric applications and influence of partial differential equations. A few such approaches include: Morse-Palais-Smale theory in global variational calculus, general methods to obtain conservation laws for PDEs, structural investigation for the understanding of the meaning of quantum geometry in PDEs, extensions to super PDEs (formulated in the category of supermanifolds) of the geometrical methods just introduced for PDEs and the harmonic theory which proved to be very important especially after the appearance of the Atiyah-Singer index theorem, which provides a link between geometry and topology.

Besides their intrinsic mathematical interest, geometric partial differential equations (PDEs) are ubiquitous in many scientific, engineering and industrial applications. They represent an intellectual challenge and have received a great deal of attention recently. The purpose of this volume is to provide a missing reference consisting of self-contained and comprehensive presentations. It includes basic ideas, analysis and applications of state-of-the-art fundamental algorithms for the approximation of geometric PDEs together with their impacts in a variety of fields within mathematics, science, and engineering. About every aspect of computational geometric PDEs is discussed in this and a companion volume. Topics in this volume include stationary and time-dependent surface PDEs for geometric flows, large deformations of nonlinearly geometric plates and rods, level set and phase field methods and applications, free boundary problems, discrete Riemannian calculus and morphing, fully nonlinear PDEs including Monge-Ampere equations, and PDE constrained optimization Each chapter is a complete essay at the research level but accessible to junior researchers and students. The intent is to provide a comprehensive description of algorithms and their analysis for a specific geometric PDE class, starting from basic concepts and concluding with interesting applications. Each chapter is thus useful as an introduction to a research area as well as a teaching resource, and provides numerous pointers to the literature for further reading The authors of each chapter are world leaders in their field of expertise and skillful writers. This book is thus meant to provide an invaluable, readable and enjoyable account of computational geometric PDEs

The analysis of PDEs is a prominent discipline in mathematics research, both in terms of its theoretical aspects and its relevance in applications. In recent years, the geometric properties of linear and nonlinear second order PDEs of elliptic and parabolic type have been extensively studied by many outstanding researchers. This book collects contributions from a selected group of leading experts who took part in the INdAM meeting "Geometric methods in PDEs", on the occasion of the 70th birthday of Ermanno Lanconelli. They describe a number of new achievements and/or the state of the art in their discipline of research, providing readers an overview of recent progress and future research trends in PDEs. In particular, the volume collects significant results for sub-elliptic equations, potential theory and diffusion equations, with an emphasis on comparing different methodologies and on their implications for theory and applications.

This book contains lecture notes of minicourses at the Regional Geometry Institute at Park City, Utah, in July 1992. Presented here are surveys of breaking developments in a number of areas of nonlinear partial differential equations in differential geometry. The authors of the articles are not only excellent expositors, but are also leaders in this field of research. All of the articles provide in-depth treatment of the topics and require few prerequisites and less background than current research articles.

The subject of Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) which first emerged in the 18th century holds an exciting and special position in the applications relating to the mathematical modelling of physical phenomena. The subject of PDEs has been developed by major names in Applied Mathematics such as Euler, Legendre, Laplace and Fourier and has applications to each and every physical phenomenon known to us e.g. fluid flow, elasticity, electricity and magnetism, weather forecasting and financial modelling. This book introduces the recent developments of PDEs in the field of Geometric Design particularly for computer based design and analysis involving the geometry of physical objects. Starting from the basic theory through to the discussion of practical applications the book describes how PDEs can be used in the area of Computer Aided Design and Simulation Based Design. Extensive examples with real life applications of PDEs in the area of Geometric Design are discussed in the book.

This book focuses on the properties of nonlinear systems of PDE with geometrical origin and the natural description in the language of infinite-dimensional differential geometry. The treatment is very informal and the theory is illustrated by various examples from mathematical physics. All necessary information about the infinite-dimensional geometry is given in the text. Contents:Introduction: Internal Geometry of PDE:Differential ManifoldsLie-Backlund MappingsLie-Backlund Fields and Infinitesimal SymmetriesCartan Forms, Currents and Conservation LawsC-Spectral Sequence. Further Properties of Conservation LawsTrivial Equations. The Formal Variational CalculusEvolution EquationsExternal Geometry of PDE:Differential SubmanifoldsNormal Projection. External Fields and FormsTrivial Ambient Differential ManifoldsThe Characteristic MappingThe Green's FormulaLow-Dimensional Conservation LawsBacklund CorrespondenceFurther Studies:Lagrangian FormalismHamiltonian EquationsExample: The Nambu's StringAppendix Readership: Graduate students and researchers in mathematical physics. keywords:Differential Manifolds;Lie-Bäcklund Mappings;Cartan Forms;Currents;Conservation Laws;Lagrangian Formation;Hamiltonian Equations