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Higher Co-dimension Singularities: Minimal Surfaces and the Thin Obstacle Problem

Objective

Singular solutions to variational problems and to partial differential equations are naturally ubiquitous in many contexts, and among these minimal surfaces theory and free boundary problems are two prominent examples both for their analytical content and their physical interest.
A crucial aspect in this regard is the co-dimension of the objects under consideration: indeed, many of the analytical and geometric principles which are valid for minimal hypersurfaces or regular points of the free boundary do not apply to higher co-dimension surfaces or singular free boundary points.

The aim of this project is to investigate some of the most compelling questions about the singularities of two classical problems in the geometric calculus of variations in higher co-dimension:

I. Mass-minimizing integer rectifiable currents, i.e. solutions to the Plateau problem of finding the surfaces of least area, attacking specific conjectures about the structure of the singular set, most prominently the boundedness of its measure.

II. The thin obstacle problem, consisting in minimizing the Dirichlet energy (or a variant of it) among functions constrained above an obstacle that is assigned on a lower dimensional space, with the purpose of answering some of the main open questions on the singular free boundary points.

The main unifying theme of the project is the central role played by geometric measure theory, which underlines various common aspects of these two problems and makes them suited to be treated in an unified framework.
Although these are classical questions with a long tradition, our knowledge about them is still limited and their investigation is among the most challenging issues in regularity theory. This is the central focus of the project, with the final goal to develop suitable analytical techniques that provides valuable insights on the mathematics at the basis of higher co-dimension singularities, eventually fruitful in other geometric and analytical settings.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-STG - Starting Grant

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2017-STG

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Host institution

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 341 250,00
Address
Piazzale Aldo Moro 5
00185 Roma
Italy

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Region
Centro (IT) Lazio Roma
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 341 250,00

Beneficiaries (2)

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