This thesis consists of three papers on topics related to optimization and estimation of solutions of Riccati equations. We are concerned with the initial value problem f'+f² =r², f(0)=0, (*) and we want to optimise F(T)= ∫0T f(t) dt when r is allowed to vary over the set R(φ ) of all equimeasurable rearrangements of a decreasing function φ and its convex hull CR(φ). In the second paper we give a new proof of a lemma of Essén giving lower and upper bounds for the solution to the above equation, when r is increasing. We also generalize the lemma to a more general equation. It was proved by Essén that the infimum of F(T) over R(φ) and RC(φ) is attained by the solution f of (*) associated to the increasing rearrangement of an element in R(φ). The supremum of F(T) over RC(φ) is obtained for the solution associated to a decreasing function p, though not necessarily the decreasing rearrangement φ, of an element in R(φ). By changing the perspective we determine the function p that solves the supremum problem.

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This work is devoted to the equation <img src="http://www.diva-portal.org/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?%5Cint_%7BS%7D%0A%5Cfrac%7Bu(y)%20%5C,%20dS(y)%7D%7B%7Cx-y%7C%5E%7BN-1%7D%7D%20=%20f(x)%20%5Ctext%7B,%7D%20%5Cqquad%20%5Cqquad%20x%20%5Cin%20S%20%5Ctext%7B,%7D%0A%5Cqquad%20%5Cqquad%20%5Cqquad%20%5Cqquad%20%5Cqquad%20%5Cqquad%20%5Cqquad%20(1)%0A" /> where S is the graph of a Lipschitz function φ on RN with small Lipschitz constant, and dS is the Euclidian surface measure. The integral in the left-hand side is referred to as a simple layer potential and f is a given function. The main objective is to find a solution u to this equation along with estimates for solutions near points on S. Our analysis is carried out in local Lp-spaces and local Sobolev spaces, and the estimates are given in terms of seminorms. In Paper 1, we consider the case when S is a hyperplane. This gives rise to the classical Riesz potential operator of order one, and we prove uniqueness of solutions in the largest class of functions for which the potential in (1) is defined as an absolutely convergent integral. We also prove an existence result and derive an asymptotic formula for solutions near a point on the surface. Our analysis allows us to obtain optimal results concerning the class of right-hand sides for which a solution to (1) exists. We also apply our results to weighted Lp- and Sobolev spaces, showing that for certain weights, the operator in question is an isomorphism between these spaces. In Paper 2, we present a fixed point theorem for a locally convex space <img src="http://www.diva-portal.org/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?%5Cmathscr%7BX%7D" />, where the topology is given by a family <img src="http://www.diva-portal.org/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?%5C%7Bp(%20%5C,%20%5Ccdot%20%5C,%20;%20%5Calpha%20)%5C%7D_%7B%5Calpha%20%5Cin%20%5COmega%7D" /> of seminorms. We study the existence and uniqueness of fixed points for a mapping<img src="http://www.diva-portal.org/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?%5Cmathscr%7BK%7D%20%5C,%20:%20%5C;%20%5Cmathscr%7BD_K%7D%20%5Crightarrow%20%5Cmathscr%7BD_K%7D" /> defined on a set <img src="http://www.diva-portal.org/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?%5Cmathscr%7BD_K%7D%20%5Csubset%20%5Cmathscr%7BX%7D" />. It is assumed that there exists a linear and positive operator K, acting on functions defined on the index set Ω, such that for every <img src="http://www.diva-portal.org/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?u,v%20%5Cin%20%5Cmathscr%7BD_K%7D" />,   <img src="http://www.diva-portal.org/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?p(%5Cmathscr%7BK%7D(u)%20-%20%5Cmathscr%7BK%7D(v)%20%5C,%20;%20%5C,%20%5Calpha%20)%20%0A%5Cleq%20K(p(u-v%20%5C,%20;%20%5C,%20%5Ccdot%20%5C,%20))%20(%5Calpha)%20%5Ctext%7B,%7D%20%5Cqquad%20%5Cqquad%20%5Calpha%20%5Cin%20%5COmega%0A%5Ctext%7B.%7D%0A" /> Under some additional assumptions, one of which is the existence of a fixed point for the operator K + p(<img src="http://www.diva-portal.org/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?%5Cmathscr%7BK%7D(0)" /> ; · ), we prove that there exists a fixed point of <img src="http://www.diva-portal.org/cgi-bin/mimetex.cgi?%5Cmathscr%7BK%7D" />. For a class of elements satisfying Kn (p(u ; · ))(α) → 0 as n → ∞, we show that fixed points are unique. This class includes, in particular, the solution we construct in the paper. We give several applications, proving existence and uniqueness of solutions for two types of first and second order nonlinear differential equations in Banach spaces. We also consider pseudodifferential equations with nonlinear terms. In Paper 3, we treat equation (1) in the case when S is a general Lipschitz surface and 1 &lt; p &lt; ∞. Our results are presented in terms of Λ(r), which is the Lipschitz constant of φ on the ball centered at the origin with radius 2r. Estimates of solutions to (1) are provided, which can be used to obtain knowledge about behaviour near a point on S in terms of seminorms. We also show that solutions to (1) are unique if they are subject to certain growth conditions. Examples are given when specific assumptions are placed on Λ. The main tool used for both existence and uniqueness is the fixed point theorem from Paper 2. In Paper 4, we collect some properties and estimates of Riesz potential operators, and also for the operator that was used in Paper 1 and Paper 3 to invert the Riesz potential of order one on RN, for the case when the density function is either radial or has mean value zero on spheres. It turns out that these properties define invariant subspaces of the respective domains of the operators in question.

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