2012, Liero, Matthias, Mielke, Alexander

We consider systems of reaction-diffusion equations as gradient systems with respect to an entropy functional and a dissipation metric given in terms of a so-called Onsager operator, which is a sum of a diffusion part of Wasserstein type and a reaction part. We provide methods for establishing geodesic lambda-convexity of the entropy functional by purely differential methods, thus circumventing arguments from mass transportation. Finally, several examples, including a drift-diffusion system, provide a survey on the applicability of the theory. We consider systems of reaction-diffusion equations as gradient systems with respect to an entropy functional and a dissipation metric given in terms of a so-called Onsager operator, which is a sum of a diffusion part of Wasserstein type and a reaction part. We provide methods for establishing geodesic lambda-convexity of the entropy functional by purely differential methods, thus circumventing arguments from mass transportation. Finally, several examples, including a drift-diffusion system, provide a survey on the applicability of the theory.

2013, Mielke, Alexander, Ortner, Christoph, Şengül, Yasemin

We formulate quasistatic nonlinear finite-strain viscoelasticity of rate-type as a gradient system. Our focus is on nonlinear dissipation functionals and distances that are related to metrics on weak diffeomorphisms and that ensure time-dependent frame-indifference of the viscoelastic stress. In the multidimensional case we discuss which dissipation distances allow for the solution of the time-incremental problem. Because of the missing compactness the limit of vanishing timesteps can only be obtained by proving some kind of strong convergence. We show that this is possible in the one-dimensional case by using a suitably generalized convexity in the sense of geodesic convexity of gradient flows. For a general class of distances we derive discrete evolutionary variational inequalities and are able to pass to the time-continuous in some case in a specific case.

2021, Renger, D. R. Michiel, Schindler, Stefanie

We study linear evolution equations in separable Hilbert spaces defined by a bounded linear operator. We answer the question which of these equations can be written as a gradient flow, namely those for which the operator is real diagonalisable. The proof is constructive, from which we also derive geodesic lambda-convexity.

2013, Huth, Robert, Jachalski, Sebastian, Kitavtsev, Georgy, Peschka, Dirk

We study gradient flow formulations of thin-film bilayer flows with triple-junctions between liquid/liquid/air. First we highlight the gradient structure in the Stokes free-boundary flow and identify its solutions with the well-known PDE with boundary conditions. Next we propose a similar gradient formulation for the corresponding thin-film model and formally identify solutions with those of the corresponding free-boundary problem. A robust numerical algorithm for the thin-film gradient flow structure is then provided. Using this algorithm we compare the sharp triple-junction model with precursor models. For their stationary solutions a rigorous connection is established using [Gamma]-convergence. For time-dependentsolutions the comparison of numerical solutions shows a good agreement for small and moderate times. Finally we study spreading in the zero-contact angle case, where we compare numerical solutions with asymptotically exact source-type solutions.

2018, Peschka, Dirk

This paper investigates a variational approach to viscous flows with contact line dynamics based on energy-dissipation modeling. The corresponding model is reduced to a thin-film equation and its variational structure is also constructed and discussed. Feasibility of this modeling approach is shown by constructing a numerical scheme in 1D and by computing numerical solutions for the problem of gravity driven droplets. Some implications of the contact line model are highlighted in this setting.

2009, Mielke, Alexander, Stefanelli, Ulisse

We investigate a global-in-time variational approach to abstract evolution by means of the weighted energy-dissipation functionals proposed by Mielke & Ortiz in ``A class of minimum principles for characterizing the trajectories of dissipative systems''. In particular, we focus on gradient flows in Hilbert spaces. The main result is the convergence of minimizers and approximate minimizers of these functionals to the unique solution of the gradient flow. Sharp convergence rates are provided and the convergence analysis is combined with time-discretization. Applications of the theory to various classes of parabolic PDE problems are presented. In particular, we focus on two examples of microstructure evolution from S. Conti and M. Ortiz ``Minimum principles for the trajectories of systems governed by rate problems'