The problem

is considered, where X is a normed space, F: X →] –∞, + ∞] is a (possibly non-convex) functional and L ∈ X'. We look for the values of γy for which the infimum above is attained. Applications to nonconvex functionals denned on measures and on the BV space are given.

We study the blow-up of positive solutions of the Cauchy problem for the semilinear parabolic equation

where u is a scalar function of the spatial variable x ∈ ℝN and time t > 0, a ∈ ℝV, a ≠ 0, 1 < p and 1 ≦ q. We show that: (a) if p > 1 and 1 ≦ q ≦ p, there always exist solutions which blow up in finite time; (b) if 1 < q ≦ p ≦ min {1 + 2/N, 1 + 2q/(N + 1)} or if q = 1 and 1 < p ≦ l + 2/N, then all positive solutions blow up in finite time; (c) if q > 1 and p > min {1 + 2/N, 1 + 2q/N + 1)}, then global solutions exist; (d) if q = 1 and p > 1 + 2/N, then global solutions exist.

In this paper we introduce a new tool in geometric measure theory and then we apply it to study the rank properties of the derivatives of vector functions with bounded variation.

It is shown that for each v ∊ {0, 1, 2}, the class of v-primitive near-rings is not axiomatisable.

The notion of a group G having periodic cohomology after k steps was introduced by Talelli in [10], and is equivalent to having the functors Hm(G, —) and Hm+q(G, —) naturally isomorphic for some q ≥ 1 and all m ≥k + 1. It extends to infinite groups the long-understood phenomenon of cohomological periodicity for finite groups (for which k = 0).

The nonuniqueness of solutions of Riemann problems for a system of conservation laws of mixed type which are admissible according to kinetic relation criteria or travelling wave criteria is proved. The above-mentioned admissibility criteria all consist of local restrictions on points of discontinuity of weak solutions. An example is given which has more than one solution admissible by these local admissibility criteria, but has only one solution, the one-phase solution, satisfying the vanishing viscosity criterion. The entropy rate criterion, however, prefers the two-phase solution.

We construct the Conley index for maps. We do not assume any compactness of map or space. We prove the Ważewski property, additivity property and continuation property.

We investigate the existence of positive principal eigenvalues of the problem - ∆u(x) = λg(x)u(x) for x ∈ ℝk where the weight function g changes sign in ℝk and is negative for |x| sufficiently large.

A fundamental comparison theorem is established for general semilinear parabolic systems via the notions of sectorial operators, analytic semigroups and the application of the Tychonoff Fixed Point Theorem. Based on this result, we establish a maximum principle for systems of general parabolic operators and general comparison theorems for parabolic systems with quasimonotone or mixed quasimonotone nonlinearities. These results cover and extend most currently used forms of maximum principles and comparison theorems. A global existence theorem for parabolic systems is derived as an application which, in particular, gives rise to some global existence results for Fujita type systems and certain generalisations.

For any group G, denote by φf(G respectively L(G)) the intersection of all maximal subgroups of finite index (respectively finite nonprime index) in G, with the usual provision that the subgroup concerned equals Gif no such maximals exist. The subgroup φf(G) was discussed in [1] in connection with a property v possessed by certain groups: a group G has v if and only if every nonnilpotent, normal subgroup of G has a finite, nonnilpotent G-image. It was shown there, for instance, that G/φf(G) has v for all groups G. The subgroup L(G), in the case where G is finite, was investigated at some length in [3], one of the main results being that L(G) is supersoluble. (A published proof of this result appears as Theorem 3 of [4]). The present paper is concerned with the role of L(G) in groups G having property v or a related property a, the definition of which is obtained by replacing “nonnilpotent” by “nonsupersoluble” in the definition of v. We also present a result (namely Theorem 4) which displays a close relationship between the subgroups L(G) and φf(G) in an arbitrary group G. Some of the results for finite groups in [3] are found to hold with rather weaker hypotheses and, in fact, remain true for groups with v or a. We recall that if a group has a it also has v ([2]Theorem 2) but not conversely. For example, G = (x, y: y-1xy = x2)has v but not a. It is a well-known result of Gaschütz ([8], 5.2.15) that, in a finite group G, if His a normal subgroup containing φ(G) such that H/φ(G) is nilpotent than His nilpotent. This remains true in the case where G is any group with v [1, Proposition 1]. Our first result is in a similar vein and is a generalization of Theorem 9 of [7] and Theorem 1.2.9 of [3], the latter of which states that, for a finite group G, if G/L(G) is supersoluble, then so is G.

We consider the diffusion-advection equation ut = uxx + (ε/(1 − u)β)x(ε >0, β >0), 0 < x < 1, t >0, under the boundary conditions ux + ε/(1 − u)β = 0. We prove that there is a critical number ε(β) such that when ε < ε(β) for certain initial data a global solution exists and converges to the corresponding stationary solution; any solution must quench (u reaches one in finite or infinite time) if ε ≧ε(β). We also show that quenching can only occur at x = 0, and that for each ε > 0 there exist initial data for which the solution quenches in finite time.

In the first part of the paper a variational characterisation of the periodic eigenvalues (the so-called Fučik spectrum) of a semilinear, positive homogeneous Sturm–Liouville equation is given. The proof relies on the S1-invariance of the equation.

In the second part a nonlinear Sturm–Liouville equation with, typically, an exponential nonlinearity is considered. It is proved that under certain conditions this equation is solvable for arbitrary forcing terms. The proof uses a comparison of the minimax levels of the functional associated to this equation with suitable values in the Fučik spectrum.

We study a semilinear boundary value problem with the feature that the vanishing boundary value makes the equation singular. We prove that the positive solution is in general Hölder-continuous up to the boundary and has even better regularity in some special cases.

Let S be an ideal of a semigroup V. In such a case, V is an (ideal) extension of S by T = V/S. The problem considered in [2] is the construction of all congruences on V in terms of congruences on S and T. This did not succeed for all congruences but it did for those congruences whose restriction to S is weakly reductive. If the extension is strict, more precise constructions are also given there. With some relatively weak restrictions on S, we are able to obtain in this way all congruences on V in the form indicated above.

We use a direct, geometric approach to study the free surface boundary conditions for stationary flows of viscous liquids. The free surface problem is characterised by a mapping on smooth variations of a given configuration; this mapping has a simple structure, which we determine by computing its differential, and studying it in terms of the space dimension and the surface tension coefficient. Applications are given to problems of existence, uniqueness and regularity in free surface flows.

Let ℐN denote the set of (N + 1)-tuples of C1 ω-periodic functions; the point P = (pN,…, p1p0) ϵ ℐN is identified with the differential equation

We examine the way in which the total number of ω-periodic solutions can vary as P traverses a path in ℐN.