The optimal estimates of the eigenvalue gaps and eigenvalue ratios for the Sturm-Liouville operators have been of fundamental importance. Recently a series of works by Keller [7],Chern-Shen [3], Lavine [8], Huang [4] and Horvath [6] show that the first eigenvalue gap of the Schrodinger operator under Dirichlet boundary condition and the first eigenvalue ratio¡]£f2/£f1¡^of the string equation under Dirichlet boundary condition are dual problems of each other. Furthermore the problems when the potential functions and density functions are restricted to certain classes of functions can all be solved by a variational calculus method (differentiating the whole equation with respect to a parameter t to find £fn'(t)) together with some elementary analysis. In this thesis, we shall give a short survey of these result. In particular, we shall prove $3$ pairs of theorems. First when q is convex (£l is concave), then £f2-£f1¡Ù3 ¡]£f2/£f1¡Ù4¡^.If q is a single well and its transition point is £k/2 (£l is a single barrier and its transition point is £k/2), then £f2-£f1¡Ù3¡]£f2/£f1¡Ù4¡^.All these lower bounds are optimal when q(£l) is constant. Finally when q is bounded (£l is bounded), then £f2-£f1 is minimized by a step function (£f2/£f1 is minimized by a step function), after some additional conditions. We shell give a unified treatment to the above results.

Dans cette thèse nous étudions quelques aspects des certains espaces de fonctions. D’une part nous nous intéressons aux singularités des applications W^{1,n} à valeurs dans la sphère unité S^n, et d’autre part, aux relèvements des applications W^{s,p} à valeurs dans le cercle S^1.La première partie concerne le problème de minimisation d’une énergie de type Dirichlet à poids. Les fonctions admissibles sont les fonctions continues hors d’un ensemble singulier donné prescrit par le bord d’un courant rectifiable. Nous obtenons la formule exacte, résultat qui améliore celui d’Alberto, Baldi et Orlando (2003). Il s’agit aussi d’une généralisation des résultats obtenus précédemment par Brezis, Coron, Lieb (1986), Almgren, Browder, Lieb (1988).La deuxième partie porte sur le meilleur contrôle des phases des applications uni-modulaires et elle se repose sur les travaux de Bourgain, Brezis, Mironescu (2000, 2002). A l’aide de quelques méthodes connues et des méthodes nouvelles, nous étudions des estimations optimales des semi-normes W^{s,p} des relèvements selon les différentes valeurs de s et de p. Nous obtenons aussi une nouvelle caractérisation de W^{s,p} pour s<1 en termes de semi-norme dyadique / In this thesis we study some aspects of certain functional spaces. On the one hand we focus on the singularities of maps W^{1, n} with values in the unit sphere S^n, and secondly, on liftings of maps W^{s, p} with values in the circle S^1.The first part concerns the minimization problem of a weighted Dirichlet energy. Admissible maps are functions which are continuous functions outside a given singular set prescribed by the boundary of a rectifiable current. We obtain the exact formula, which improves the result of Alberto, Baldi and Orlando (2003). In the same time, we generalize some results previously obtained by Brezis, Coron, Lieb (1986), Almgren, Browder, Lieb (1988).The second part focuses on the best control of unimodular maps and it is based on the work of Bourgain, Brezis, Mironescu (2000, 2002). Using some known methods and some new ones, we study optimal estimates of seminorms W^{s, p} of liftings, for different values of s and p. We also obtain a new characterization of the space W^{s, p} for s<1 in terms of dyadic seminorm

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / Neste presente trabalho, faremos o estudo de importantes propriedades geomÃtricas e analÃticas de soluÃÃes de equaÃÃes diferenciais parciais elÃpticas totalmente nÃo-lineares do tipo: singulares e degeneradas. O estudo de processos de combustÃo que se degeneram ao longo do conjunto de anulamento da densidade de um gÃs, um caso particular de problemas do tipo "quenching", apresentam em sua modelagem equaÃÃes singulares que estÃo descritas neste trabalho. Nesta primeira parte iremos obter propriedades de uma soluÃÃo minimal, que vÃo desde o controle completo Ãtimo, atà a obtenÃÃo de estimativas de Hausdorff da fronteira livre singular. Por fim, iremos obter a regularidade Ãtima de soluÃÃes de equaÃÃes em que suas propriedades de difusÃo(elipticidade) se deterioram na ordem de uma potÃncia do seu gradiente ao longo do conjunto em que tal taxa de variaÃÃo se anula. / In this work we study important geometric and analytic properties to solutions of fully nonlinear elliptic partial differential equations, both singular and degenerate types. The study of combustion processes that degenerate along the null-set of the density of a gas, a particular case of quenching problems, present in their modeling, equations described in this work. In this first part we obtain properties of a minimal solution, since the complete optimal control until the Hausdorff estimates of the singular free boundary. Ultimately, we obtain the optimal regularity to equation solutions where their diffusion property (elipticity) deterorate in a power of their gradient along the set where such rate of variation nullifies.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / In this work we establish local regularity estimates for at solutions to non-convex fully nonlinear elliptic equations and we study cavitation type equations modeled within coef- icients bounded and measurable. / Neste trabalho estabelecemos estimativas de regularidade local para soluÃÃes "flat" de equaÃÃes elÃpticas totalmente nÃo-lineares nÃo-convexas e estudamos equations do tipo cavidade com coeficientes meramente mensurÃveis.