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José Miguel Urbano

Publications and source records attributed to José Miguel Urbano.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Qualitative-to-quantitative regularity for degenerate equations

We establish a principle that converts qualitative regularity into uniform interior estimates for degenerate equations. For the $p$-Laplace equation, $p>2$, we prove that local $C^{1,γ}$ regularity of every solution, without any uniform bound on the corresponding seminorms, implies uniform $C^{1,β}$ estimates for every $0<β<γ$. Thus, the optimal qualitative and quantitative gradient Hölder exponents coincide as suprema in every dimension. In the plane, this yields estimates controlled by the $L^p$ norm of the solution for every exponent below the sharp Iwaniec--Manfredi threshold. Applied to Xu's recent qualitative $C^{1,1/3}$ regularity for planar infinity-harmonic functions, we obtain uniform interior $C^{1,β}$ estimates for every $0<β<1/3$. For the nonlocal superconductivity equation $|Du|(-Δ)^s u=0$, with $1/2 0$. The proofs combine compactness for shifted equations with an improvement-of-flatness iteration at variable scales.

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The two-phase Alt-Phillips problem for quasilinear operators

We establish interior regularity and growth estimates for the sign-changing minimizers of the $p-$singular or $p-$degenerate quasilinear Alt--Phillips functional throughout the full range of $1<p<\infty$ and of the nonlinearity power $0<γ<p$. As a consequence, we show that the nonbranching hypersurface is locally $C^{1,α}$ rectifiable. In addition, we obtain local density estimates, from which we deduce the local finiteness of the $\big(N-1+γ(p-1)/(p-γ)\big)-$dimensional Hausdorff measure of the remaining free boundaries for a restricted range of $γ$.

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The Monge--Ampère equation on graphs

We introduce a version of the Monge--Ampère equation on finite graphs, motivated by nonlinear graph-based interpolation and semi-supervised learning. The operator is defined as the product of discrete analogs of the Hessian eigenvalues, obtained via local order statistics of function values at neighboring vertices. We derive an equivalent Bellman-type formulation of the inhomogeneous Dirichlet problem, establish a comparison principle and uniqueness in the strictly graph-convex class, and investigate existence via Perron's method, identifying certain graph-theoretic obstructions. We also study the homogeneous equation, for which the problem reduces to a nonlinear interpolation rule involving the smallest discrete eigenvalue. Finally, we propose numerical schemes for both the homogeneous and inhomogeneous problems.

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Fractional $p$-caloric functions are Lipschitz

We study the parabolic fractional $p-$Laplace equation $\partial_t u+(-Δ_p)^su = 0$ in the degenerate range $2 < p < 2/(1-s)$. We show that weak solutions are Lipschitz continuous in space and, if $p > 1/(1-s)$, also in time. We also prove a comparison principle for both weak and viscosity solutions, and establish the equivalence between the two notions of solution.

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A coupled prediction-correction Hughes' model for congested crowd motion

In this work, we introduce a new macroscopic model for crowd motion inspired by the celebrated Hughes' model \cite{Hughes2002, Hughes2003}, which couples a nonlinear conservation law for the pedestrian density with an Eikonal equation describing the shortest path to the target. Our approach can be viewed both as a modification of Hughes' original formulation and as a refinement of the prediction-correction framework proposed in the recent work \cite{ennaji2023prediction}. The resulting model incorporates anticipatory behavior and dynamic route adjustment, offering a more realistic representation of crowd dynamics in complex environments. We present the mathematical formulation of the model, discuss its well-posedness properties, and illustrate its qualitative behavior through numerical simulations. Ultimately, we show, at least from a numerical perspective, that this variant provides a promising avenue towards establishing the well-posedness of the classical Hughes' model, which has remained a challenging open problem for a long time.

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An $L^1$-theory for $p$-Schrödinger equations with confinement in measure

We consider stationary $p$-Schrödinger equations on the whole space with integrable data and potentials that are confining in measure. We introduce asymptotic energy solutions in an asymptotic $L^p$ framework and establish existence and uniqueness in the degenerate range $p\ge2$. The proof relies on a new Rellich$\unicode{x2013}$Kondrachov-type compactness theorem of independent interest, which provides sufficient conditions for families of Sobolev functions to be precompact in asymptotic $L^p$ spaces, without any dimension-dependent restriction on the exponent. For data in the duality regime $L^1(\mathbb{R}^n)\cap L^{p'}(\mathbb{R}^n)$, asymptotic energy solutions coincide with weak energy solutions. We also show that additional compactness assumptions yield localized entropy-type solutions and, under suitable local regularity, distributional solutions.

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Geometric properties of free boundaries in degenerate quenching problems

We study minimizers of non-differentiable functionals modeled on the degenerate quenching problem. Our main result establishes the finiteness of the $(n-1)-$dimensional Hausdorff measure of the free boundary. The proof is based on optimal gradient decay estimates obtained from an intrinsic Harnack-type inequality, along with a detailed analysis in a flatness regime, where minimizers enjoy improved regularity. Our arguments provide an alternative proof of classical results of Phillips and, although developed in the degenerate setting, also offer insights relevant to the singular case.

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On free boundary problems shaped by varying singularities

We start the investigation of free boundary variational models featuring varying singularities. The theory depends strongly on the nature of the singular power $γ(x)$ and how it changes. Under a mild continuity assumption on $γ(x)$, we prove the optimal regularity of minimizers. Such estimates vary point-by-point, leading to a continuum of free boundary geometries. We also conduct an extensive analysis of the free boundary shaped by the singularities. Utilizing a new monotonicity formula, we show that if the singular power $γ(x)$ varies in a $W^{1,n^{+}}$ fashion, then the free boundary is locally a $C^{1,δ}$ surface, up to a negligible singular set of Hausdorff co-dimension at least $2$.

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Improved regularity for a nonlocal dead-core problem

We obtain improved regularity results for solutions to a nonlocal dead-core problem at branching points. Our approach, which does not rely on the maximum principle, introduces a new strategy for analyzing two-phase problems within the local framework, an area that remains largely unexplored.

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Borderline regularity in singular free boundary problems

In this paper, we investigate the borderline regularity of local minimizers of energy functionals under minimal assumptions on the potential term $σ$. When $σ$ is merely bounded and measurable, we show that sign-changing minimizers are Log-Lipschitz continuous, which represents the optimal regularity in this general setting. In the one-phase case, however, we establish gradient bounds for minimizers along their free boundaries, revealing a structural gain in regularity. Most notably, we prove that if $σ$ is continuous, then minimizers are of class $C^1$ along the free boundary, thereby identifying a sharp threshold for differentiability in terms of the regularity of the potential.

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A granular model for crowd motion and pedestrian flow

We study a granular model for congested crowd motion and pedestrian flow. Our approach is based on an approximation through a Hele-Shaw type equation involving a degenerate operator of $p$-Laplacian type and a linear drift, for which we prove existence and uniqueness using nonlinear semigroup methods and the doubling variables technique. Our main result shows that, as $p \to \infty$, the weak solutions of the $p-$problem converge to a variational solution of the congested crowd motion problem.

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Improved moduli of continuity for degenerate phase transitions

We substantially improve in two scenarios the current state-of-the-art modulus of continuity for weak solutions to the $N$-dimensional, two-phase Stefan problem featuring a $p-$degenerate diffusion: for $p=N\geq 3$, we sharpen it to $$ \boldsymbolω(r) \approx \exp (-c| \ln r|^{\frac1N}); $$ for $p>\max\{2,N\}$, we derive an unexpected Hölder modulus.

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Oscillatory free boundary problems in stochastic materials

We investigate a class of free boundary problems with oscillatory singularities within stochastic materials. Our main result yields sharp regularity estimates along the free boundary, provided the power of the singularity varies in a Dini-continuous fashion below a certain threshold. We also reveal an interesting repelling estimate preventing the free boundary from touching the region where the singularity power oscillates above the threshold.

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BMO-regularity for a degenerate transmission problem

We examine a transmission problem driven by a degenerate quasilinear operator with a natural interface condition. Two aspects of the problem entail genuine difficulties in the analysis: the absence of representation formulas for the operator and the degenerate nature of the diffusion process. Our arguments circumvent these difficulties and lead to new regularity estimates. For bounded interface data, we prove the local boundedness of weak solutions and establish an estimate for their gradient in ${\rm BMO}-$spaces. The latter implies solutions are of class $C^{0,{\rm Log-Lip}}$ across the interface. Relaxing the assumptions on the data, we establish local Hölder continuity for the solutions.

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Transmission problems: regularity theory, interfaces and beyond

Modelling diffusion processes in heterogeneous media requires addressing inherent discontinuities across interfaces, where specific conditions are to be met. These challenges fall under the purview of Mathematical Analysis as \emph{transmission problems}. We present a pa\-no\-ra\-ma of the theory of transmission problems, encompassing the seminal contributions from the 1950s and subsequent developments. Then we delve into the discussion of regularity issues, including recent advances matching the minimal regularity requirements of interfaces and the optimal regularity of the solutions. A discussion on free transmission problems closes the survey.

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Improved regularity for a Hessian-dependent functional

We prove that minimizers of the $L^{d}$-norm of the Hessian in the unit ball of $\mathbb{R}^d$ are locally of class $C^{1,α}$. Our findings extend previous results on Hessian-dependent functionals to the borderline case and resonate with the Hölder regularity theory available for elliptic equations in double-divergence form.

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