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Viorel Barbu

Publications and source records attributed to Viorel Barbu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Uniqueness for nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations with general diffusion terms and their associated nonlinear Markov processes

This work is concerned with the uniqueness of distributional solutions to nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations with non-diagonal diffusion terms of type \begin{equation} u_{t}-\sum_{i,j=1}^{d} D^{2}_{ij}(a_{ij}(x)\beta(x,u))+ \text{div}(b(x,u)u)=0 \quad \text{in}\; (0, \infty) \times \mathbb{R}^{d} ,\notag \end{equation} with initial condition $u(0,x)\equiv u_{0}(x)$, where $a_{ij}$, $\beta$, and $b$ are suitable functions. Under suitable assumptions, this equation generates a continuous contraction semigroup $S(t): L^{1}(\mathbb{R}^{d}) \rightarrow L^{1}(\mathbb{R}^{d})$, and $u(t)=S(t)u_{0}$ is a mild solution to the equation. Our main contribution is to prove that this mild solution is unique in the much larger class of distributional solutions. This extends previous uniqueness results for the diagonal (also called isotropic) diffusion case $a_{ij} \equiv \delta_{ij}$. Another key analytical result of this paper is the uniqueness for distributional solutions of the associated linearized equation. As a main application, we prove weak uniqueness for the corresponding McKean-Vlasov SDEs. Furthermore, we establish a new $L^{\infty}$ estimate for mild solutions starting from data in $L^{1}\cap L^{\infty}$ and this estimate is used in the construction of nonlinear Markov processes. Finally, we prove that the path laws of the solutions to the McKean-Vlasov SDEs form a nonlinear Markov process in the sense of McKean.

math.PR↗
arXiv2026

Probabilistic representation of solutions to the parabolic $p$-Laplace equation

This work is concerned with the probabilistic representation of solutions to the $p$-Laplace evolution equation $\frac{\partial u}{\partial t}={\rm div}(|\nabla u|^{p-2}\nabla u)$ in $(0,\infty)\times\mathbb{R}^d$, $u(0,x)=u_0(x),$ $x\in\mathbb{R}^d$. One proves that, if $p\geq 4$, and if $u_0$ is a probability density with compact support and $u_0\in L^2$, $|\nabla u_0|\in L^\infty$, then $u$ can be represented as $u(t,x)dx=\mathscr L_{X(t)}(dx)$, where $\mathscr L_{X(t)}$ denotes the time marginal law of $X$ at time $t$ with $X$ being a probabilistically weak solution to a corresponding McKean-Vlasov stochastic differential equation. This result is based on a new second order global regularity result for the weak solutions to the parabolic $p$-Laplace equation.

math.AP↗
arXiv2025

The Leibenson process

Consider the Leibenson equation \begin{equation*} \partial_t u = \Delta_p u^q, \end{equation*} where $\Delta_p f = div(|\nabla f|^{p-2}\nabla f)$ for $p>1$ and $q>0$, which is a simultaneous generalization of the porous media and the $p$-Laplace equation. In this paper we identify the Leibenson equation as a nonlinear Fokker--Planck equation and prove that it has a nonlinear Markov process in the sense of McKean as its probabilistic counterpart. More precisely, we obtain a probabilistic representation of its Barenblatt solutions as the one-dimensional marginal density curve of the unique solutions to the associated McKean--Vlasov SDE. The latter is of novel type, since its coefficients depend pointwise both on its solution's time marginal densities and also on their first and second order derivatives. Moreover, we show that these solutions constitute the aforementioned nonlinear Markov process, which we call the Leibenson process. A further main result of this work is to prove that despite the strong degeneracy of the diffusion and the irregularity of the drift coefficient (which is merely of bounded variation) of the McKean--Vlasov SDE these solutions are probabilistically strong, i.e., measurable functionals of the driving Brownian motion and the initial condition.

math.PR↗
arXiv2025

Nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations as smooth Hilbertian gradient flows

Under suitable assumptions on $\beta:\mathbb{R}\!\to\!\mathbb{R}, \,D:\mathbb{R}^d\!\to\!\mathbb{R}^d$ and $b:\mathbb{R}^d\!\to\!\mathbb{R}$, the nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation $u_t-\Delta\beta(u)+{\rm div}(Db(u)u)=0$, in $(0,\infty)\times\mathbb{R}^d$ where $D=-\nabla\Phi$, can be identified as a smooth gradient flow $\frac{d^+}{dt}\,u(t)+\nabla E_{u(t)}=0$, $\forall t>0$. Here, $E:\mathcal{P}^*\cap L^\infty(\mathbb{R}^d)\to\mathbb{R}$ is the energy function associated to the equation, where $\mathcal{P}^*$ is a certain convex subset of the space of probability densities. $\mathcal{P}^*$ is invariant under the flow and $\nabla E_u$ is the gradient of $E$, that is, the tangent vector field to $\mathcal{P}$ at $u$ defined by $\left<\nabla E_u,z_u\right>_u={\rm diff}\,E_u\cdot z_u$ for all vector fields $z_u$ on $\mathcal{P}^*$, where $\left<\cdot,\cdot\right>_u$ is a scalar product on a suitable tangent space $\mathcal{T}_u(\mathcal{P}^*)\subset\mathcal{D}'(\mathbb{R}^d)$.

math.PR↗
arXiv2024

$p$-Brownian motion and the $p$-Laplacian

In this paper we construct a stochastic process, more precisely, a (nonlinear) Markov process, which is related to the parabolic $p$-Laplace equation in the same way as Brownian motion is to the classical heat equation given by the (2-) Laplacian.

math.PR↗
arXiv2023

Uniqueness of distributional solutions to the 2D vorticity Navier-Stokes equation and its associated nonlinear Markov process

In this work we prove uniqueness of distributional solutions to $2D$ Navier-Stokes equations in vorticity form $u_t-νΔu+ div (K(u)u)=0$ on $(0,\infty)\times\mathbb{R}^2$ with Radon measures as initial data, where $K$ is the Biot-Savart operator in 2-D. As a consequence, one gets the uniqueness of probabilistically weak solutions to the corresponding McKean-Vlasov stochastic differential equations. It is also proved that for initial conditions with density in $L^4$ these solutions are strong, so can be written as a functional of the Wiener process, and that pathwise uniqueness holds in the class of weak solutions, whose time marginal law densities are in $L^{\frac43}$ in space-time. In particular, one derives a stochastic representation of the vorticity $u$ of the fluid flow in terms of a solution to the McKean-Vlasov SDE. Finally, it is proved that the family $\mathbb{P}_{s,ζ},$ $s \geq 0$, $ζ=$probability measure on $\mathbb{R}^d$, of path laws of the solutions to the McKean-Vlasov SDE, started with $ζ$ at $s$, form a nonlinear Markov process in the sense of McKean.

math.PR↗
arXiv2023

Nonlocal, nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations and nonlinear martingale problems

This work is concerned with the existence of mild solutions and the uniqueness of distributional solutions to nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations with nonlocal operators $\Psi(-\Delta)$, where $\Psi$ is a Bernstein function. As applications, the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the corresponding nonlinear martingale problems are proved. Furthermore, it is shown that these solutions form a nonlinear Markov process in the sense of McKean such that their one-dimensional time marginal law densities are the solutions to the nonlocal nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation. Hence, McKean's program envisioned in his PNAS paper from 1966 is realized for these nonlocal PDEs.

math.AP↗
arXiv2023

The ergodicity of nonlinear Fokker-Planck flows in $L^1(\mathbb R^d)$

One proves in this work that the nonlinear semigroup $S(t)$ in $L^1(\mathbb R^d)$, $d\geq 3$, associated with the nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation $u_t-Δβ(u)+\text{div}(Db(u)u){=}0$, $u(0)=u_0$ in $(0,\infty)\times\mathbb R^d$, under suitable conditions on the coefficients $β:\mathbb R\to\mathbb R$, $D:\mathbb R^d\to\mathbb R^d$ and $b:\mathbb R\to\mathbb R$, is mean ergodic. In particular, this implies the mean ergodicity of the time marginal laws of the solutions to the corresponding McKean-Vlasov stochastic differential equation. This completes the results established in [7] on the nature of the corresponding omega-set $ω(u_0)$ for $S(t)$ in the case where the flow $S(t)$ in $L^1(\mathbb R^d)$ has not a fixed point and so the corresponding stationary Fokker-Planck equation has no solutions.

math.PR↗
arXiv2023

Uniqueness for nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations and for McKean-Vlasov SDEs: The degenerate case

This work is concerned with the existence and uniqueness of generalized (mild or distributional) solutions to (possibly degenerate) Fokker-Planck equations $ρ_t-Δβ(ρ)+{\rm div}(Db(ρ)ρ)=0$ in $(0,\infty)\times\mathbb{R}^d,$ $ρ(0,x) \equiv ρ_0(x)$. Under suitable assumptions on $β:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R},\,b:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}$ and $D:\mathbb{R}^d\to\mathbb{R}^d$, $d\ge1$, this equation generates a unique flow $ρ(t)=S(t)ρ_0:[0,\infty)\to L^1(\mathbb{R}^d)$ as a mild solution in the sense of nonlinear semigroup theory. This flow is also unique in the class of $L^\infty((0,T)\times\mathbb{R}^d)\cap L^1((0,T)\times\mathbb{R}^d),$ $\forall T>0$, Schwartz distributional solutions on $(0,\infty)\times\mathbb{R}^d$. Moreover, for $ρ_0\in L^1(\mathbb{R}^d)\cap H^{-1}(\mathbb{R}^d)$, $t\to S(t)ρ_0$ is differentiable from the right on $[0,\infty)$ in $H^{-1}(\mathbb{R}^d)$-norm. As a main application, the weak uniqueness of the corresponding McKean-Vlasov SDEs is proven.

math.AP↗
arXiv2022

Recent progress on multi-bubble blow-ups and multi-solitons to (stochastic) focusing nonlinear Schrödinger equations

We review the recent progress on the long-time behavior for a general class of focusing $L^2$-critical nonlinear Schrödinger equations (NLS) with lower order perturbations. Two canonical models are the stochastic NLS driven by linear multiplicative noise and the classical deterministic NLS. We show the construction and uniqueness of the corresponding blow-up solutions and solitons, including the multi-bubble Bourgain-Wang type blow-up solutions and non-pure multi-solitons, which provide new examples for the mass quantization conjecture and the soliton resolution conjecture. The refined uniqueness of pure multi-bubble blow-ups and pure multi-solitons to NLS under very low asymptotical rate is also reviewed. Finally, as a new result, we prove the qualitative properties of stochastic blow-up solutions, including the concentration of mass, universality of critical mass blow-up profiles, as well as the vanishing of the virial at the blow-up time.

math.PR↗
arXiv2022

Nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations with fractional Laplacian and McKean-Vlasov SDEs with Lévy-Noise

This work is concerned with the existence of mild solutions to non-linear Fokker-Planck equations with fractional Laplace operator $(-Δ)^s$ for $s\in\left(\frac12,1\right)$. The uniqueness of Schwartz distributional solutions is also proved under suitable assumptions on diffusion and drift terms. As applications, weak existence and uniqueness of solutions to McKean-Vlasov equations with Lévy-Noise, as well as the Markov property for their laws are proved.

math.PR↗
arXiv2022

Nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations with time-dependent coefficients

An operatorial based approach is used here to prove the existence and uniqueness of a strong solution $u$ to the time-varying nonlinear Fokker--Planck equation $u_t(t,x)-Δ(a(t,x,u(t,x))u(t,x))+{\rm div}(b(t,x,u(t,x))u(t,x))=0$ in $(0,\infty)\times \mathbb{R}$ $u(0,x)=u_0(x),\ x\in\mathbb{R}^d$ in the Sobolev space $H^{-1}(\mathbb{R}^d)$, under appropriate conditions on the $a:[0,T]\times\mathbb{R}^d\times\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}$ and $b:[0,T]\times\mathbb{R}^d\times\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}^d.$ It is proved also that, if $u_0$ is a density of a probability measure, so is $u(t,\cdot)$ for all $t\ge0$. Moreover, we construct a weak solution to the McKean-Vlasov SDE associated with the Fokker-Planck equation such that $u(t)$ is the density of its time marginal law. MSC: 60H15, 47H05, 47J05. Keywords: Fokker--Planck equation, Cauchy problem, stochastic differential equation, Sobolev space, periodic solution.

math.AP↗
arXiv2022

Solutions for nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations with measures as initial data and McKean-Vlasov equations

One proves the existence and uniqueness of a generalized (mild) solution for the nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation (FPE) \begin{align*} &u_t-Δ(β(u))+{\mathrm{ div}}(D(x)b(u)u)=0, \quad t\geq0,\ x\in\mathbb{R}^d,\ d\ne2, \\ &u(0,\cdot)=u_0,\mbox{in }\mathbb{R}^d, \end{align*} where $u_0\in L^1(\mathbb{R}^d)$, $β\in C^2(\mathbb{R})$ is a nondecreasing function, $b\in C^1$, bounded, $b\ge0$, $D\in {L^\infty}(\mathbb{R}^d;\mathbb{R}^d)$, ${\rm div}\,D\in L^2(\mathbb{R}^d)+L^\infty(\mathbb{R}^d),$ with ${({\rm div}\, D)^-}\in L^\infty(\mathbb{R}^d)$, $β$ strictly increasing, if $b$ is not constant. Moreover, $t\to u(t,u_0)$ is a semigroup of contractions in $L^1(\mathbb{R}^d)$, which leaves invariant the set of probability density functions in $\mathbb{R}^d$. If ${\rm div}\,D\ge0$, $β'(r)\ge a|r|^{α-1}$, and $|β(r)|\le C r^α$, $α\ge1,$ $d\ge3$, then $|u(t)|_{L^\infty}\le Ct^{-\frac d{d+(α-1)d}}\ |u_0|^{\frac2{2+(m-1)d}},$ $t>0$, and, if $D\in L^2(\mathbb{R}^d;\mathbb{R}^d)$, the existence extends to initial data $u_0$ in the space $\mathcal{M}_b$ of bounded measures in $\mathbb{R}^d$. As a consequence for arbitrary initial laws, we obtain weak solutions to a class of McKean-Vlasov SDEs with coefficients which have singular dependence on the time marginal laws.

math.AP↗
arXiv2022

The evolution to equilibrium of solutions to nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation

One proves the $H$-theorem for mild solutions to a nondegenerate, nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation $$ u_t-Δβ(u)+{\rm div}(D(x)b(u)u)=0, \ t\geq0, \ x\in\mathbb{R}^d,\qquad (1)$$ and under appropriate hypotheses on $β,$ $D$ and $b$ the convergence in $L^1_\textrm{loc}(\mathbb{R}^d)$, $L^1(\mathbb{R}^d)$, respectively, for some $t_n\to\infty$ of the solution $u(t_n)$ to an equilibrium state of the equation for a large set of nonnegative initial data in $L^1$. These results are new in the literature on nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations arising in the mean field theory and are also relevant to the theory of stochastic differential equations. As a matter of fact, by the above convergence result, it follows that the solution to the McKean-Vlasov stochastic differential equation corresponding to (1), which is a nonlinear distorted Brownian motion, has this equilibrium state as its unique invariant measure. Keywords: Fokker-Planck equation, $m$-accretive operator, probability density, Lyapunov function, $H$-theorem, McKean-Vlasov stochastic differential equation, nonlinear distorted Brownian motion. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification: 35B40, 35Q84, 60H10.

math.PR↗
arXiv2021

The invariance principle for nonlinear Fokker--Planck equations

One studies here, via the La Salle invariance principle for nonlinear semigroups in Banach spaces, the properties of the $ω$-limit set $ω(u_0)$ corresponding to the orbit $γ(u_0)=\{u(t,u_0);\ t\ge0\}$, where $u=u(t,u_0)$ is the solution to the nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation $$\begin{array}{l} u_t-Δβ(u)+{\rm div}(Db(u)u)=0\ \mbox{ in }(0,\infty)\times\mathbb{R}^d,\\ u(0,x)=u_0(x),\ \ x\in\mathbb{R}^d,\quad u_0\in L^1(\mathbb{R}^d),\ d\ge3.\end{array}$$ Here, $β\in C^1(\mathbb{R})$ and $β'(r)>0$, $\forall r\ne0$. Moreover, $β$ is a sublinear function, possibly degenerate in the origin, $b\in C^1(\mathbb{R})$, $b$ bounded, $b\ge b_0\in(0,\infty),$ $D$ is bounded such that $D=-\nablaΦ$, where $Φ\in C(\mathbb{R}^d)$ is such that $Φ\ge1,$ $Φ(x)\to\infty$ as $|x|\to\infty$ and satisfies a condition of the form $ΔΦ-α|\nablaΦ|^2\le0$, a.e. on $\mathbb{R}^d$. The main conclusion is that the equation has an equilibrium state and the set $ω(u_0)$ is a non-empty, compact subset of $L^1(\mathbb{R}^d)$ while, for each $t\ge0$, the operator $u_0\to u(t,u_0)$ is an isometry on $ω(u_0)$. In the nondegenerate case $0<γ_0\leβ'\leγ_1$ studied in [Barbu, Röckner: arXiv:1808.10706], it follows that $\lim\limits_{t\to\infty}S(t)u_0=u_\infty$ in $L^1(\mathbb{R}^d)$, where $u_\infty$ is the unique bounded stationary solution to the equation.

math.AP↗