The method of steepest descent is used to minimize typical functionals from elasticity.

The method of dual steepest descent is used to solve ordinary differential equations with nonlinear boundary conditions. A general boundary condition is B(u) = 0 where where B is a continuous functional on the nth order Sobolev space Hn[0.1J. If F:HnCO,l] —• L2[0,1] represents a 2 differential equation, define *(u) = 1/2 IIF < u) li and £(u) = 1/2 l!B(u)ll2. Steepest descent is applied to the functional 2 £ a * + £. Two special cases are considered. If f:lR —• R is C^(2), a Type I boundary condition is defined by B(u) = f(u(0),u(1)). Given K: [0,1}xR—•and g: [0,1] —• R of bounded variation, a Type II boundary condition is B(u) = ƒ1/0K(x,u(x))dg(x).

In this work we study the Generalized Lane-Emden equation and the interplay between the exponents involved and their consequences on the existence and non existence of radial solutions on a unit ball in n dimensions. We extend the analysis to the phase plane for a clear understanding of the behavior of solutions and the relationship between their existence and the growth of nonlinear terms, where we investigate the critical exponent p and a sub-critical exponent, which we refer to as ^p. We discover a structural change of solutions due the existence of this sub-critical exponent which we relate to the same change in behavior of the Lane- Emden equation solutions, for ; = 0; andp = 2, due to the same sub-critical exponent. We hypothesize that this sub-critical exponent may be related to a weighted trace embedding.

Polyconvexity is a standard assumption on hyperelastic stored energy densities which, together with some growth conditions, ensures the weak lower semicontinuity of the respective energy functional. The present work first reviews known results about gradient polyconvexity, introduced by Benešová, Kružík and Schlömerkemper in 2017. It is an alternative property to polyconvexity, better-suited e.g. for the modelling of shape-memory alloys. The principal result of this thesis is the extension of an elastic material model with gradient polyconvex energy functional to an elastoplastic body and proving the existence of an energetic solution to an associated rate- independent evolution problem, proceeding from previous work of Mielke, Francfort and Mainik. 1

This thesis is about using appropriate tools in functional analysis arid classical analysis to tackle the problem of existence and uniqueness of nonlinear partial differential equations. There being no unified strategy to deal with these equations, one approaches each equation with an appropriate method, depending on the characteristics of the equation. The correct setting of the problem in appropriate function spaces is the first important part on the road to the solution. Here, we choose the setting of Sobolev spaces. The second essential part is to choose the correct tool for each equation. In the first part of this thesis (Chapters 3 and 4) we consider a variety of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations with mixed boundary and initial conditions. The methods of compactness and monotonicity are used to prove existence and uniqueness of the solution (Chapter 3). Finding a priori estimates is the main task in this analysis. For some types of nonlinearity, these estimates cannot be easily obtained, arid so these two methods cannot be applied directly. In this case, we first linearise the equation, using linear recurrence (Chapter 4). In the second part of the thesis (Chapter 5), by using an appropriate tool in functional analysis (the Sobolev Imbedding Theorem), we are able to improve previous results on a posteriori error estimates for the finite element method of lines applied to nonlinear parabolic equations. These estimates are crucial in the design of adaptive algorithms for the method, and previous analysis relies on, what we show to be, unnecessary assumptions which limit the application of the algorithms. Our analysis does not require these assumptions. In the last part of the thesis (Chapter 6), staying with the theme of choosing the most suitable tools, we show that using classical analysis in a proper way is in some cases sufficient to obtain considerable results. We study in this chapter nonexistence of positive solutions to Laplace's equation with nonlinear Neumann boundary condition. This problem arises when one wants to study the blow-up at finite time of the solution of the corresponding parabolic problem, which models the heating of a substance by radiation. We generalise known results which were obtained by using more abstract methods.

Sensitivity analysis is a useful mathematical tool for many designers, engineers and mathematicians. This work presents a study of sensitivity equation methods for elliptic boundary value problems posed on parameter dependent domains. The current focus of our efforts is the construction of a rigorous mathematical framework for sensitivity analysis and the subsequent development of efficient, accurate algorithms for sensitivity computation. In order to construct the framework, we use the classical theory of partial differential equations along with the method of mappings and the Implicit Function Theorem. Examples are given which illustrate the use of the framework, and some of the shortcomings of the theory are also identified. An overview of some computational methods which make use of the method of mappings is also included. Numerical results for a specific example show that convergence (energy norm) of the sensitivity approximations can be influenced by the specific structure of the computational scheme. / Ph. D.

Primary objective of the thesis is proof of the statement that if for ∈ ℕ a ≥ 1 a bilipschitz mapping belongs to +1, loc ∩ ,∞ loc then also its inverse −1 belongs to +1, loc . We prove a similar statement also for spaces loc . For this purpose we construct a new ordering of -th partial derivatives to generalized Jacobian matrix. Thanks to this matrix we are able to differentiate matrices in an applicable way. Generalized Jacobian matrix is projected so that there still holds the Chain rule and, in some way, also rules for matrices product differentiation. 1

In this thesis we present new ideas and mathematical insights in the field of Compton Scattering Tomography (CST), an X-ray and gamma ray imaging technique which uses Compton scattered data to reconstruct an electron density of the target. This is an area not considered extensively in the literature, with only two dimensional gamma ray (monochromatic source) CST problems being analysed thus far. The analytic treatment of the polychromatic source case is left untouched and while there are three dimensional acquisition geometries in CST which consider the reconstruction of gamma ray source intensities, an explicit three dimensional electron density reconstruction from Compton scatter data is yet to be obtained. Noting this gap in the literature, we aim to make new and significant advancements in CST, in particular in answering the questions of the three dimensional density reconstruction and polychromatic source problem. Specifically we provide novel and conclusive results on the stability and uniqueness properties of two and three dimensional inverse problems in CST through an analysis of a disc transform and a generalized spindle torus transform. In the final chapter of the thesis we give a novel analysis of the stability of a spindle torus transform from a microlocal perspective. The practical application of our inversion methods to fields in X-ray and gamma ray imaging are also assessed through simulation work.

It is shown that bounded solutions to semilinear elliptic Fuchsian equations obey complete asymptoic expansions in terms of powers and logarithms in the distance to the boundary. For that purpose, Schuze's notion of asymptotic type for conormal asymptotics close to a conical point is refined. This in turn allows to perform explicit calculations on asymptotic types - modulo the resolution of the spectral problem for determining the singular exponents in the asmptotic expansions.

Boundary value problems on manifolds with conical singularities or edges contain potential operators as well as trace and Green operators which play a similar role as the corresponding operators in (pseudo-differential) boundary value problems on a smooth manifold. There is then a specific asymptotic behaviour of these operators close to the singularities. We characterise potential operators in terms of actions of cone or edge pseudo-differential operators (in the neighbouring space) on densities supported by sbmanifolds which also have conical or edge singularities. As a byproduct we show the continuity of such potentials as continuous perators between cone or edge Sobolev spaces and subspaces with asymptotics.