In this note we show that certain perturbations, involving rank-one stabilising operators, which correspond to small delays in some feedback control problems, shift a part of the point spectrum of the unperturbed operator into the right-half plane.

We study the problem

where Ω is a bounded domain in ℝn(N≧3), 2 <p ≦2N/N – 2, λ ∈R. We prove the existence of nontrivial solutions of (*) for which we can estimate the number of nodal regions dependent on the eigenvalues of −Δ less than λ.

We investigate algebras associated with a (discrete) Clifford semigroup S =∪ {Ge: e ∈ E{. We show that the representation theory for S is determined by an enveloping Clifford semigroup UC(S) =∪ {Gx: x ∈ X} where X is the filter completion of the semilattice E. We describe the representation theory in terms of both disintegration theory and sheaf theory.

We consider a weakly coupled set of two partial differential equations where the coupling matrix has variable elements and the principal part of each equation is the same uniformly elliptic operator. Weobtain necessary conditions that the system of equations can be decoupled. By decoupling the system and using a positivity lemma due to Hess and Kato, we determine the algebraic sign of the solution components. This work extends recent results of de Figueiredo and Mitidieri. Further, one can use these results to determine the sign of the solution to certain fourth order elliptic boundary value problems.

In this paper we give the local classification of solution curves of bivalued direction fields determined by the equation

where a and b are smooth functions which we suppose vanish at 0 ∈ ℝ2. Such fields arise on surfaces in Euclidean space, near umbilics, as the principal direction fields, and also in applications of singularity theory to the structure of flow fields and monochromatic-electromagnetic radiation. We give a classification up to homeomorphism (there are three types) but the methods furnish much additional information concerning the fields, via a crucial blowing-up construction.

The method of viscosity solutions for nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) justifies passages to limits by in effect using the maximum principle to convert to the corresponding limit problem for smooth test functions. We describe in this paper a “perturbed test function” device, which entails various modifications of the test functions by lower order correctors. Applications include homogenisation for quasilinear elliptic PDEs and approximation of quasilinear parabolic PDEs by systems of Hamilton-Jacobi equations.

We consider a generalisation of the liquid drop problem, introduced in [1, Part II], by allowing the upper and lower surfaces to have different surface tension coefficients γv and γu. We study the existence, uniqueness and regularity of this problem. In addition, we show that as γv/γu →0, the solution of this problem converges to the solution of the “plasma problem”.

Suppose that M is a closed, connected and smooth manifold of dimension n = 8k + 5, with k ≧1. Let η be an n-plane bundle over M. Under suitable conditions on M, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the span of η to be ≧j, j = 5 or 6. We then apply the results to the tangent bundle of M. In particular, we prove a conjecture of E. Thomas, namely, if M is 3-connected mod 2, then span M ≧ 5 if, and only if, χ2(M) = 0. We prove that if also w8k(M) = 0, then span M≧6. We also derive some immersion theorems for M.