Inequalities in Mechanics and Physics

This title is printed to order. This book may have been self-published. If so, we cannot guarantee the quality of the content. In the main most books will have gone through the editing process however some may not. We therefore suggest that you be aware of this before ordering this book. If in doubt check either the author or publisher’s details as we are unable to accept any returns unless they are faulty. Please contact us if you have any questions.

1. We begin by giving a simple example of a partial differential inequality that occurs in an elementary physics problem. We consider a fluid with pressure u(x, t) at the point x at the instant t that 3 occupies a region Q oflR bounded by a membrane r of negligible thickness that, however, is semi-permeable, i. e., a membrane that permits the fluid to enter Q freely but that prevents all outflow of fluid. One can prove then (cf. the details in Chapter 1, Section 2.2.1) that au (aZu azu aZu) (1) in Q, t>o, -a - du = g du = -a z + -a z + -a z t Xl X X3 z l g a given function, with boundary conditions in the form of inequalities u(X,t o => au(x,t)/an=O, XEr, (2) u(x,t)=o => au(x,t)/an?:O, XEr, to which is added the initial condition (3) u(x,O)=uo(x). We note that conditions (2) are non linear; they imply that, at each fixed instant t, there exist on r two regions r~ and n where u(x, t) =0 and au (x, t)/an = 0, respectively. These regions are not prescribed; thus we deal with a free boundary problem.