Regularity of Elliptic partial differential equation with mixed Dirichlet-Robin boundary condition, to prove $u\in H^{2}(\Omega)$

elliptic-equationsfunctional-analysispartial differential equationsregularity-theory-of-pdesweak-derivatives

When I deal with the wave equation with dynamical boundary condition, I am confused by the regularity of the following elliptic partial differential equation with mixed Dirichlet-Robin boundary condition:
$$
\begin{cases}
-\Delta u+u=f, &x\in\Omega,\\
u+\partial_{\nu}u=g, &x\in\Gamma_{1},
\\u=0,&x\in\Gamma_{0}.
\end{cases}
$$

where

  • $f\in L^{2}(\Omega),g\in L^{2}(\Gamma_{1})$
  • $\Omega\in\mathbb{R}^{n}$ is a bounded annular domain with smooth boundary $\Gamma_{1}$ and $\Gamma_{2}$,
  • $\Gamma_{1}$ and $\Gamma_{2}$ are disjoint relatively open respectively.

We can prove that there exists a weak solution $u\in H^{1}_{\Gamma_{0}}(\Omega)$ by Lax-Milgram theorem and $\Delta u\in L^{2}(\Omega)$ according to the equation. But can we prove that $u$ also belongs to $H^{2}(\Omega)$?

Best Answer

This should follow from local boundary $H^2(\Omega)$ regularity, applied separately near $\Gamma_0$ and $\Gamma_1$. Since the two boundary conditions are prescribed on separated regions (which is what I assume you mean by an annular domain), you can localise to one and ignore the other.

In what follows, note that a weak solution $u$ satisfies the weak formulation $$ \int_{\Omega} \nabla u \cdot \nabla \varphi + u \varphi \,\mathrm{d}x = \int_{\Omega} f \varphi \,\mathrm{d}x + \int_{\Gamma_1} (g-u)\varphi \,\mathrm{d}x$$ for all $\varphi \in H^1_{\Gamma_0}(\Omega)$, that is all $\varphi \in H^1(\Omega)$ vanishing on $\Gamma_0$.

For regularity near $\Gamma_0$, we can take test functions $\varphi \in H^1_0(\Omega)$ and observe that the $\Gamma_1$ term vanishes in the weak formulation. Then $H^2$ regularity follows in the standard way by:

  • Locally flattening the boundary near some $x_0 \in \Gamma_0$,

  • Taking tangential difference quotients to show all the tangential derivatives $\partial_iu$ locally lie in $H^1$ for $1 \leq i \leq n-1$. Here it is convenient that the Dirichlet boundary is zero, which ensures the difference quotients remain valid test functions.

  • Using the equation deduce that the final derivative $\partial_nu$ also locally lies $H^1$.

This is standard, and can be found in any graduate level PDE text covering elliptic equations. See for instance Chapter 6, Section 3.2 of

Evans, Lawrence C., Partial differential equations, Graduate Studies in Mathematics. 19. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS). xvii, 662 p. (1998). ZBL0902.35002.

For regularity near $\Gamma_1$, the strategy is similar, involving flattening the boundary and using difference quotients. Here $\varphi$ built from difference quotients will automatically be a valid test function (assuming your cutoff vanishes near $\Gamma_0$), but you need to estimate an additional term coming from the $\Gamma_1$ integral. I will leave this an exercise, but since you are only taking difference quotients in the tangential directions it's just a matter of using the trace theorem to estimate $u$.