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Question

Math 6420 • PDE

Fall 2024 • Question 2

Let \(U\) be a smooth bounded domain and \(f:\overline {U}\to \mathbb {R}\) be a smooth function. Consider the energy

\[ I[v]:=\int _U \left (\sqrt {1+|\nabla v|^2}-fv\right )\,dx \]

on the admissible class

\[ \mathcal {A}=\{v\in C^2(U)\cap C^1(\overline {U}): v=0\text { on }\partial U\}. \]

Suppose that there is \(u\in \mathcal {A}\) satisfying

\[ I[u]=\min _{v\in \mathcal {A}}I[v]. \]

Find and justify the PDE boundary value problem satisfied by \(u\).

Raw LaTeX

Let \(U\) be a smooth bounded domain and \(f:\overline{U}\to\mathbb{R}\) be a
smooth function. Consider the energy

\[
I[v]:=\int_U \left(\sqrt{1+|\nabla v|^2}-fv\right)\,dx
\]

on the admissible class

\[
\mathcal{A}=\{v\in C^2(U)\cap C^1(\overline{U}): v=0\text{ on }\partial U\}.
\]

Suppose that there is \(u\in\mathcal{A}\) satisfying

\[
I[u]=\min_{v\in\mathcal{A}}I[v].
\]

Find and justify the PDE boundary value problem satisfied by \(u\).