Null-controllability for the beam equation with structural damping. Part 2: Integration by parts for fractional Laplacians and boundary control

Abstract

Let $\Delta$ be the Neumann Laplacian on the interval $(0,\pi)$, and let $T>0$. An integration by parts formula is proven for the spectral fractional Laplacian, $(-\Delta)^\alpha$, for $\alpha \in (0,1)$. As an application, we prove well-posedness results for the structurally damped beam equation $$u_{tt}+\Delta^2 u+\rho (-\Delta)^\alpha u_t=0, x\in (0,\pi),t>0$$ with various boundary conditions including $$ u_x(0,t)=u_{xxx}(0,t)=0;\ u_x(\pi,t)=f(t),\ u_{xxx}(\pi,t)=0, $$ and $f\in L^2(0,T)$ and appropriate initial conditions. Viewing $f$ as a control, we prove null-controllability. Analagous results are proven for higher order controls, and for the Dirichlet Laplacian.