English

Well-posedness of a generalized Stokes operator on domains with cylindrical ends via layer-potentials

Analysis of PDEs 2026-05-29 v2 Mathematical Physics Differential Geometry Functional Analysis math.MP

Abstract

We study the \emph{generalized Stokes operator} \begin{equation*} \bsXi \ede \bsXi _{V,V_0} \ede \left(\begin{array}{ccc} \bsL + V & \nabla \\ \nabla^* & -V_0 \end{array}\right) \end{equation*} on a \emph{domain with straight cylindrical ends} Ω\Omega using \emph{the method of layer potentials} on MΩM \supset \Omega. The operator \bsXi0,0\bsXi_{0, 0} is the classical Stokes operator. Under suitable positivity assumptions on VV and V0V_{0}, we prove that \bsXi\bsXi is Fredholm. This allows us then to define the single- and double-layer potentials \bsS\bsS and 12+\bsK\frac12 + \bsK. Under further positivity assumptions, we prove that \bsS\bsS and 12+\bsK\frac12 + \bsK are also Fredholm. Under slightly stronger assumptions on VV and V0V_{0}, we prove \emph{the invertibility} of the operators \bsXi\bsXi, \bsS\bsS, and 12+\bsK\frac12 + \bsK. The invertibility of these operators leads to \emph{well-posedness results} for the associated (linear) Stokes boundary value problem with Dirichlet boundary conditions on Ω\Omega. The proofs of these results required us to develop many related tools. In particular, we develop an ``algebra tool kit'' to deal with \emph{limit and jump relations of layer potentials.} We also develop Green formulas and energy estimates for our generalized Stokes operator \bsXi\bsXi on manifolds with straight cylindrical ends, which requires a careful geometric study of the related differential operators, such as the deformation operator \Def\Def. For completeness, we review suitable classes of pseudodifferential operators on manifolds with straight cylindrical ends that were studied in some previous papers of ours (including ``The Stokes operator on manifolds with cylindrical ends,'' J. Diff. Equations, 2024). As an application, we prove the well-posedness result for the Dirichlet problem for the generalized Navier-Stokes system with small data on a domain with cylindrical ends.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2605.10849,
  title  = {Well-posedness of a generalized Stokes operator on domains with cylindrical ends via layer-potentials},
  author = {Mirela Kohr and Victor Nistor and Wolfgang Wendland},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.10849},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

We have added several references and made a few other small improvements, 110 pages, 2 figures, the main assumptions (outside the statements of results) are in light blue