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33 votes
1 answer
2k views

For which maps $S^1\to S^1$ is the winding number defined?

There are two classes of maps $S^1\to S^1$ for which I know how to define the winding number: • Continuous maps: Using the unique path lifting property of the universal covering map $\mathbb R\to S^...
André Henriques's user avatar
31 votes
2 answers
1k views

Open problems in Sobolev spaces

What are the open problems in the theory of Sobolev spaces? I would like to see problems that are yes or no only. Also I would like to see problems with the statements that are short and easy to ...
27 votes
2 answers
8k views

Compact embeddings of Sobolev spaces: a counterexample showing the Rellich-Kondrachov theorem is sharp

Let $U$ be an open bounded subset of $\mathbb{R}^n$ with $C^{1}$ boundary. Let $1 \leq p < n$ and $p^{\ast} = pn/(n-p)$. Then the Sobolev space $W^{1,p}(U)$ is contained $L^{p^{\ast}}(U)$ and ...
NPC's user avatar
  • 309
27 votes
1 answer
1k views

Do Sobolev spaces contain nowhere differentiable functions?

Does the Sobolev space $H^1(R^n)$ of weakly differentiable functions on a bounded domain in $R^n$ (or a more general Sobolev space) contain a continuous but nowhere differentiable function?
Arnold Neumaier's user avatar
22 votes
4 answers
3k views

When to use more exciting function spaces than ordinary Sobolev spaces?

In which kinds of PDEs are the more interesting function spaces required? I am thinking of spaces such as Besov and Triebel spaces, and their weighted versions. For example, Sobolev spaces $L^2(0,T;H^...
user35613's user avatar
  • 405
22 votes
1 answer
4k views

Image of the trace operator

It is well-known that we have the trace theorem for Sobolev spaces. Let $\Omega$ be an open domain with smooth boundary, we know that the map $$ T: C^1(\bar\Omega) \to C^1(\partial\Omega) \subset L^...
Willie Wong's user avatar
21 votes
5 answers
18k views

When is Sobolev space a subset of the continuous functions?

If we let $\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^d$ with $d=1,2,3$ and define $\mathcal{H}^1(\Omega)=(w\in L_2(\Omega): \frac{\partial w}{\partial x_i}\in L_2(\Omega), i=1,...,d)$. My tutor has repeated several ...
alext87's user avatar
  • 3,217
21 votes
1 answer
3k views

Density of polynomials in $C^k(\overline\Omega)$

Let $\Omega$ be an open and bounded subset of $\mathbb{R}^2$ and let $C^k(\Omega)$, $1\leq k<\infty$, be the space of functions $f$ with continuous derivatives of order $\leq k$ in $\Omega$, ...
user111's user avatar
  • 4,034
18 votes
3 answers
2k views

Research topics in distribution theory

The theory of distributions is very interesting, and I have noticed that it has many applications especially with regard to PDEs. But what are the research topics in this theory? also in terms of ...
Andrew's user avatar
  • 589
18 votes
1 answer
2k views

Equivalence of fractional Sobolev space defined through Gagliardo norm and interpolation; dependence on the domain

Let $\Gamma$ be a smooth hypersurface in $\mathbb{R}^n$. We can define the fractional Sobolev space $$X = \left\{ u \in L^2(\Gamma) \mid |u|_X^2 := \int_\Gamma \int_\Gamma \frac{|u(x)-u(y)|^2}{|x-y|^{...
JakeA's user avatar
  • 201
14 votes
2 answers
536 views

Reference Request: Elliptic differential operators in the Fréchet setting

Normally the theory of (elliptic) differential operators between vector bundles (or $\mathbb{R}^n$) is presented in the language of Sobolev spaces. I'm searching for a book (or something similar) ...
Tobias Diez's user avatar
  • 5,824
14 votes
0 answers
633 views

Classes of (non-continuous) functions with the fixed point property

Let $K$ be a convex body in $ R^d$. (Say, a ball, say a cube...) For which classes $ \cal C$ of functions, every function $ f \in {\cal C}$ which takes $K$ into itself admits a fixed point in $K$. ...
Gil Kalai's user avatar
  • 24.7k
13 votes
3 answers
2k views

Sobolev spaces and geometry

This is a very naive question, is there a way to geometrically understand Sobolev spaces without going through analysis and PDE's? To my knowledge, Sobolev spaces where created precisely to study PDE'...
Juan OS's user avatar
  • 947
12 votes
2 answers
847 views

When is the closed unit ball in a smaller Banach space closed in a larger Banach space?

Recently I saw an interesting lemma: For any $s>0$, the closed unit ball in $H^s$ is also closed in the $L^2$ norm. That is, suppose $u_j\in H^s$ and $\|u_j\|_{H^s}\le 1$. Suppose $u_j\to u$ in $L^...
Fan Zheng's user avatar
  • 5,169
12 votes
3 answers
2k views

Reference request: Simple facts about vector-valued Sobolev space

Let $V,H$ be separable Hilbert spaces such that there are dense injections $V \hookrightarrow H \hookrightarrow V^*$. (For example, $H = L^2(\mathbb{R}^n)$, $V = H^1(\mathbb{R}^n)$, $V^* = H^{-1}(\...
Nate Eldredge's user avatar
12 votes
0 answers
476 views

Are Sobolev trace spaces equal from both sides of the boundary?

Let $\Omega\subset\mathbb R^n$ be a bounded open set and $\Omega'$ the complement of its closure. Assume $\partial\Omega=\partial\Omega'$. Are the quotient spaces $W^{1,p}(\Omega)/W^{1,p}_0(\Omega)$ ...
Joonas Ilmavirta's user avatar
11 votes
3 answers
1k views

Boundedness of the derivative of the trace of an H^1 function

As a research preface, this question is linked to a problem of increasing magnetism in Ginzburg-Landau equations that I have distilled for the purpose of getting to the bottom of this technical matter....
Daniel Spector's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
692 views

discontinuous functions on the Sobolev borderline

The Sobolev embedding theorem implies that every function of class $W^{k,p}$ on a reasonable $n$-dimensional domain is continuous if $kp > n$. Cases with $kp=n$ are known as "borderline" ...
Chris Wendl's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
973 views

$\int\limits_{\Omega}{uvdx}<\infty,\forall v\in H_0^1(\Omega)$ implies $u\in L^{6/5}(\Omega)$

I posted this question first in Math.StackExchange one week ago here, but I didn't get an answer or a helpful comment so I repost it here: Let $d=3$ and $\Omega\subset \mathbb R^d$ is a bounded ...
Svetoslav's user avatar
  • 261
10 votes
2 answers
6k views

Characterizing the Dual of $W_0^{s,p}$

I am interested in literature/results characterizing the dual of the fractional Sobolev space $W^{s,p}(\Omega)$, where $\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^N$ is open, bounded, and smooth, $0< s<1$, and $...
Daniel Spector's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
486 views

Sobolev inequalities on manifolds: dependence of the constants on the Riemannian metric

Let $g$ be a smooth Riemannian metric on the 2-torus $T^2$. $g$ induces the Sobolev space $W^{2,2}_g(T^2)$ via the norm $$ \|f\|_{W^{2,2}_g}^2 = \int_M |f|^2 + g(\nabla^2 f,\nabla^2 f)\, \text{vol}_g, ...
C M's user avatar
  • 381
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

Chain rule for distributional derivative

Let $V \subset H \subset V^*$ be a Gelfand triple (eg. $H^1 \subset L^2 \subset H^{-1}$). Let $u \in L^2(0,T;V)$ have a distributional derivative $u' \in L^2(0,T;V^*)$. So $\int_0^T u(t)\varphi'(t) = ...
mathias_l's user avatar
  • 145
9 votes
4 answers
2k views

Books about capacity theory

While I was studying the book Variation et Optimisation de formes by Antoine Henrot and Michel Pierre, I encountered a section about the capacity associated to the $H^1$ norm, which is defined for ...
Beni Bogosel's user avatar
  • 2,222
9 votes
3 answers
2k views

Trace theorem for $C^{k,1}$ domains

What are the best results on (Sobolev space) trace theorems for $C^{k,1}$ domains? For $k=0$, e.g., when the domain is Lipschitz, from e.g. the works of Martin Costabel and Zhonghai Ding, it is known ...
timur's user avatar
  • 3,322
9 votes
1 answer
639 views

Prove J.L. Lions’s Lemma without using Fourier transform

When I read the book Linear and Nonlinear Functional Analysis with Applications, I came across J.L. Lions's Lemma (the book doesn't give a proof), which states Let $\Omega \subset \mathbb R^n$ be a ...
Zhang Yuhan's user avatar
9 votes
4 answers
911 views

Can a $W^{1,2}$ map from the disk to the circle restrict to a degree one map on the boundary?

The restriction of a continuous map $D^2\to S^1$ to $\partial D^2\to S^1$ must have degree zero. Is that statement true or false if the map is only $W^{1,2}(D^2;S^1)$ and continuous on $\partial D^2$? ...
Yasha Berchenko-Kogan's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
758 views

Convergence of Schwartz kernels implies convergence of operators

Let $K$ be a smoothing operator on $\mathbb{R}^n$, i.e., it defines a map on all Sobolev spaces $K\colon H^r(\mathbb{R}^n) \to H^s(\mathbb{R}^n)$ for all $r, s \in \mathbb{R}$. Now (a variation of) ...
AlexE's user avatar
  • 2,998
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Traces of Sobolev spaces

Is there a simple proof of the following fact? Theorem. Let $\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^n$ be a bounded and smooth domain. If $n>2$, then $W^{1,n-1}(\partial\Omega)\subset W^{1-\frac{1}{n},n}(\...
Piotr Hajlasz's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Sobolev space for Mixed Dirichlet - Neumann boundary condition

Consider the subset $\Omega\subset \mathbb{R}^N$ with boundary $\partial\Omega$ sufficiently regular and let $\Gamma\subset\partial\Omega$ be a $(N-1)$- dimensional submanifold of $\partial\Omega$. ...
Gio712's user avatar
  • 253
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Noncompactness of the Sobolev embedding in the critical exponent case

Let $\Omega \subset \mathbb R^n$ be a bounded domain with a Lipschitz boundary and $n > p \ge 1$. It is well known that up to the critical exponent $p^* = pn/(n − p)$, i.e. $q < p^*$, the ...
anonymous's user avatar
  • 446
8 votes
1 answer
496 views

Is $C^{\infty}(M)$ dense in weighted Sobolev space $W_{X}^{1}(M)$?

Let $M$ be a compact manifold without boudary and let $X_{1},\ldots,X_{m}$ be smooth vector fields on $M$. Consider the following weighted Sobolev space: $$ W_{X}^{1}(M)=\{f\in L^{2}(M)|X_{j}f\in L^2(...
pxchg1200's user avatar
  • 287
8 votes
1 answer
2k views

Equivalent Norms for the Dual of Sobolev / Bessel Spaces

Using standard notation, we refer to $H^s(\mathbb R) = W^{s,2}(\mathbb R)$ to be the Sobolev Hilbert spaces. As is often the case, it's natural to then consider properties of functions in $H^s(\mathbb ...
user61038's user avatar
  • 289
8 votes
1 answer
496 views

A fractional weighted Poincaré inequality

Does there exists a constant $C>0$ such that $$ \int_{-1}^1 \lvert x\rvert\lvert\partial_x u\rvert^2 \,dx \geq C\, \lVert u\rVert^2_{H^{1/2}((-1,1))},$$ for all $u\in C^{\infty}_0((-1,1))$?
Ali's user avatar
  • 4,135
8 votes
3 answers
1k views

Fractional Sobolev spaces and interpolation in unbounded Lipschitz domains

I am not really familiar with the topic, thus I am looking for some references about the following problem. Let $s>0$ be a positive real and let $p\in(1,+\infty)$. We define the Bessel Potential ...
Pit's user avatar
  • 81
8 votes
1 answer
392 views

Proving that a space is Hilbert

Let $H=H_0^1(0,\ell)\times H_*^1(0,\ell)\times H_*^1(0,\ell)$ be equipped with the norms \begin{align*} \|(\varphi,\psi,w)\|_1^2&=A\|\varphi_x+\psi+lw\|_{L^2}^2+B\|w_x-l\varphi\|_{L^2}^2+C\|\psi_x\...
Robert's user avatar
  • 171
8 votes
0 answers
177 views

Understanding spaces of negative regularity

I apologize if this question is too basic for this site, but I posted it on mathSE and did not get any responses (link can be found here) so I'm crossposting it here. Let $C^k(\mathbb{R}^n$) be the ...
CBBAM's user avatar
  • 721
8 votes
0 answers
260 views

Hyperbolic PDEs - Proof that the restriction of a locally $H^s$ solution to a spacelike hypersurface is locally in $H^s$

I have found the following claim made very clearly at least once in the published literature (see below): Let $P$ be a linear partial differential operator defined on an open set $\Omega \subset \...
Umberto Lupo's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
3k views

Arzelà-Ascoli theorem and Hölder spaces

Let $B\subset \mathbb{R}^n$ be a open ball. Let $\{f_i\}$ be a sequence of functions bounded in the Hölder norm $C^{k,\alpha}(B)$ for a given integer $k\geq 0$ and $\alpha\in (0,1)$. Does there exist ...
asv's user avatar
  • 21.8k
7 votes
2 answers
508 views

Making the Fourier transform quantitative

I am undergraduate Physics student and understand that this is a professional mathematics forum. But due to perhaps broader interest, I hope this question is suitable for this website. I understand ...
André's user avatar
  • 225
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the Laplace operator on entire plane

According to the answers in the the following questions: How to prove the spectrum of the Laplace operator? and What is spectrum for Laplacian in $\mathbb{R}^n$ , the spectrum of the Laplace operator $...
UserA's user avatar
  • 597
7 votes
3 answers
352 views

Smallness of cut-off functions at critical Sobolev regularity

Consider the class of functions $$X:=\{f\in \mathcal{C}_0^{\infty}(\mathbb{R})\;s.t.\;f\equiv 1 \mbox{ in a neighbourhood of}\;\;x=0\}$$ Is it true that, for every $\varepsilon > 0$, I can find $...
Capublanca's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

An alternate definition of Sobolev space $W^{1,p}(\Omega)$ when $1<p\leq\infty$ and consequences

Suppose that we define the Sobolev space $W^{1,p}(\Omega)$ with $1<p\leq \infty$, where $\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^d$ ($d\geq 1$) is an open set (not necessarily bounded), in the following manner. ...
UserA's user avatar
  • 597
7 votes
1 answer
195 views

Limit case of Sobolev space in $1$-D

This might look too an elementary question, but I am confined and is not able to find a textbook which answers the following question. I have a function $f:{\mathbb R}\rightarrow{\mathbb R}$, such ...
Denis Serre's user avatar
  • 52.3k
7 votes
2 answers
536 views

"Reversion" of class $J(\theta)$ interpolation property for Besov spaces

In (function space) interpolation theory, a Banach space $E$ is of class $J(\theta)$ (for $0 < \theta < 1$) if $$X \cap Y \subseteq E \subseteq X+Y,$$ where $(X,Y)$ are Banach spaces and form an ...
Hannes's user avatar
  • 2,670
7 votes
1 answer
659 views

Compactness of Sobolev embedding for domains of finite measure

Let $\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^d$ be a domain of finite Lebesgue measure, not assumed to be smooth or bounded. Is it true that the embedding of, say, $W^{1,p}_0(\Omega)$ (Sobolev functions with zero ...
Alexander Shamov's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
652 views

Extending Hölder functions

I originally asked this question on MathStackExchange some time ago, but it seems that MathOverflow would be more appropriate. Essentially, I would like to find references for extension theorems for (...
Kacper Kurowski's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Products of functions in fractional-order Sobolev spaces

It is well known that $\|fg\|_s \lesssim \|f\|_{s_1} \|g\|_{s_2}$ for functions $f: {\mathbb R}^n \rightarrow {\mathbb R}$ under certain conditions on $s$, $s_1$, $s_2$ (i.e. $s_1$, $s_2 \geq s$ and $...
olih's user avatar
  • 91
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Chain rule for weakly differentiable functions

Given are $f\in L^1(\mathbb R^n)$, $f>0$, such that $\log f\in L^1_{\mathrm{loc}}(\mathbb R^n)$ and $\nabla \log f = g$ in the sense of distributions, with $g\in L^1_{\mathrm{loc}}(\mathbb R^n)\cap ...
Mark Peletier's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
132 views

Different definitions of fractional sobolev spaces

Let $\Omega$ be a bounded and smooth domain in $\mathbb R^d$. For any $s\in (0,1)$ we can define $H_s(\Omega)$ to be the space of functions $u\in L^2(\Omega)$ such that $$(x,y)\mapsto \frac{|u(x)-u(y)|...
Thomas's user avatar
  • 630
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

Exercise 8.13 - Brezis

Let $1 \leq p < \infty$ and $u \in W^{1,p}(\mathbb{R}$). Set $$ D_{h}u(x) = \frac{1}{h}(u(x+h) - u(x)), \ \ x \in \mathbb{R}, h> 0 $$ Show that $D_{h}u \to u'$ in $L^{p}(\mathbb{R}$) as $h \to ...
user253963's user avatar

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