This thesis is devoted to the rigorous study of approximations for (multi-phase) mean curvature flow and related equations. We establish convergence towards weak solutions of the according geometric evolution equations in the BV-setting of finite perimeter sets. Our proofs are of variational nature in the sense that we use the gradient flow structure of (multi-phase) mean curvature flow. We study two classes of schemes, namely phase-field models and thresholding schemes. The starting point of our investigation is the fact that both, the Allen-Cahn Equation and the thresholding scheme, preserve this gradient flow structure. The Allen-Cahn Equation is a gradient flow itself, while the thresholding scheme is a minimizing movements scheme for an energy that Γ-converges to the total interfacial energy. In both cases we can incorporate external forces or a volume-constraint. In the spirit of the work of Luckhaus and Sturzenhecker (Calc. Var. Partial Differential Equations 3(2):253–271, 1995), our results are conditional in the sense that we assume the time-integrated energies to converge to those of the limit. Although this assumption is natural, it is not guaranteed by the a priori estimates at hand.

This thesis is concerned with two problems in the Calculus of Variations touching on two central aspects of Materials Science: the structure of solid matter and its dynamic behavior. The problem pertaining to the first aspect is the analysis of the rigidity properties of possibly branched microstructures formed by shape memory alloys undergoing cubic-to-tetragonal transformations. On the basis of a variational model in the framework of linearized elasticity, we derive a non-convex and non-discrete valued differential inclusion describing the local volume fractions of such structures. Our main result shows the inclusion to be rigid without additional regularity assumptions and provides a list of all possible solutions. We give constructions ensuring that the various types of solutions indeed arise from the variational model and quantitatively describe their rigidity via H-measures. Our contribution to the second aspect is a conditional result on the convergence of the Allen-Cahn Equations to multi-phase mean curvature flow, which is a popular model for grain growth in polychrystalline metals. The proof relies on the gradient flow structure of both models and borrows ideas from certain convergence proofs for minimizing movement schemes.:1 Introduction 1.1 Shape memory alloys 1.2 Multi-phase mean curvature flow 2 Branching microstructures in shape memory alloys: Rigidity due to macroscopic compatibility 2.1 The main rigidity theorem 2.2 Outline of the proof 2.3 Proofs 3 Branching microstructures in shape memory alloys: Constructions 3.1 Outline and setup 3.2 Branching in two linearly independent directions 3.3 Combining all mechanisms for varying the volume fractions 4 Branching microstructures in shape memory alloys: Quantitative aspects via H-measures 4.1 Preliminary considerations 4.2 Structure of the H-measures 4.3 The transport property and accuracy of the approximation 4.4 Applications of the transport property 5 Convergence of the Allen-Cahn Equation to multi-phase mean curvature flow 5.1 Main results 5.2 Compactness 5.3 Convergence 5.4 Forces and volume constraints

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第23677号 / 理博第4767号 / 新制||理||1683(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科数学・数理解析専攻 / (主査)准教授 SVADLENKA Karel, 教授 泉 正己, 教授 坂上 貴之 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Apresentamos desigualdades do tipo Penrose e um teorema de massa positiva para buracos negros carregados, isto Ã, dados iniciais para soluÃÃes tempo-simÃtricas das equaÃÃes de Einstein-Maxwell, que podem ser isometricamente mergulhados no espaÃo euclidiano como grÃficos. As demonstraÃÃes usam uma fÃrmula integral para massa ADM de tais hipersuperfÃcies e o fluxo pela curvatura mÃdia inversa. / We present Penrose-type inequalities and a positive mass theorem to charged black roles, ie, initial data for time-symmetric solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations, which can be isometrically immersed in Euclidean space as graphics. The statements use an integral formula for the ADM mass of such hypersurfaces and the inverse mean curvature flow.

<p dir="ltr">In Chapter 1, we introduce geometric motions from the general perspective of gradient flows. Here we develop the basic framework in which to pose the two main results of this thesis.</p><p dir="ltr">In Chapter 2, we examine the pinch-off phenomenon for a tubular surface moving by surface diffusion. We prove the existence of a one parameter family of pinching profiles obeying a long wavelength approximation of the dynamics.</p><p dir="ltr">In Chapter 3, we study a diffusion-based numerical scheme for curve shortening flow. We prove that the scheme is one time-step consistent.</p>