The analysis of PDEs is a prominent discipline in mathematics research, both in terms of its theoretical aspects and its relevance in applications. In recent years, the geometric properties of linear and nonlinear second order PDEs of elliptic and parabolic type have been extensively studied by many outstanding researchers. This book collects contributions from a selected group of leading experts who took part in the INdAM meeting "Geometric methods in PDEs", on the occasion of the 70th birthday of Ermanno Lanconelli. They describe a number of new achievements and/or the state of the art in their discipline of research, providing readers an overview of recent progress and future research trends in PDEs. In particular, the volume collects significant results for sub-elliptic equations, potential theory and diffusion equations, with an emphasis on comparing different methodologies and on their implications for theory and applications.

This IMA Volume in Mathematics and its Applications GEOMETRIC METHODS IN INVERSE PROBLEMS AND PDE CONTROL contains a selection of articles presented at 2001 IMA Summer Program with the same title. We would like to thank Christopher B. Croke (University of Penn sylva nia), Irena Lasiecka (University of Virginia), Gunther Uhlmann (University of Washington), and Michael S. Vogelius (Rutgers University) for their ex cellent work as organizers of the two-week summer workshop and for editing the volume. We also take this opportunity to thank the National Science Founda tion for their support of the IMA. Series Editors Douglas N. Arnold, Director of the IMA Fadil Santosa, Deputy Director of the IMA v PREFACE This volume contains a selected number of articles based on lectures delivered at the IMA 2001 Summer Program on "Geometric Methods in Inverse Problems and PDE Control. " The focus of this program was some common techniques used in the study of inverse coefficient problems and control problems for partial differential equations, with particular emphasis on their strong relation to fundamental problems of geometry. Inverse coef ficient problems for partial differential equations arise in many application areas, for instance in medical imaging, nondestructive testing, and geophys ical prospecting. Control problems involving partial differential equations may arise from the need to optimize a given performance criterion, e. g. , to dampen out undesirable vibrations of a structure , or more generally, to obtain a prescribed behaviour of the dynamics.

This book emphasizes the interdisciplinary interaction in problems involving geometry and partial differential equations. It provides an attempt to follow certain threads that interconnect various approaches in the geometric applications and influence of partial differential equations. A few such approaches include: Morse-Palais-Smale theory in global variational calculus, general methods to obtain conservation laws for PDEs, structural investigation for the understanding of the meaning of quantum geometry in PDEs, extensions to super PDEs (formulated in the category of supermanifolds) of the geometrical methods just introduced for PDEs and the harmonic theory which proved to be very important especially after the appearance of the Atiyah-Singer index theorem, which provides a link between geometry and topology.

Since the first edition of this book, geometrical methods in the theory of ordinary differential equations have become very popular and some progress has been made partly with the help of computers. Much of this progress is represented in this revised, expanded edition, including such topics as the Feigenbaum universality of period doubling, the Zoladec solution, the Iljashenko proof, the Ecalle and Voronin theory, the Varchenko and Hovanski theorems, and the Neistadt theory. In the selection of material for this book, the author explains basic ideas and methods applicable to the study of differential equations. Special efforts were made to keep the basic ideas free from excessive technicalities. Thus the most fundamental questions are considered in great detail, while of the more special and difficult parts of the theory have the character of a survey. Consequently, the reader needs only a general mathematical knowledge to easily follow this text. It is directed to mathematicians, as well as all users of the theory of differential equations.

This book is not a textbook, but rather a coherent collection of papers from the field of partial differential equations. Nevertheless we believe that it may very well serve as a good introduction into some topics of this classical field of analysis which, despite of its long history, is highly modem and well prospering. Richard Courant wrote in 1950: "It has always been a temptationfor mathematicians to present the crystallized product of their thought as a deductive general theory and to relegate the individual mathematical phenomenon into the role of an example. The reader who submits to the dogmatic form will be easily indoctrinated. Enlightenment, however, must come from an understanding of motives; live mathematical development springs from specific natural problems which can be easily understood, but whose solutions are difficult and demand new methods or more general significance. " We think that many, if not all, papers of this book are written in this spirit and will give the reader access to an important branch of analysis by exhibiting interest ing problems worth to be studied. Most of the collected articles have an extensive introductory part describing the history of the presented problems as well as the state of the art and offer a well chosen guide to the literature. This way the papers became lengthier than customary these days, but the level of presentation is such that an advanced graduate student should find the various articles both readable and stimulating.

Our understanding of the fundamental processes of the natural world is based to a large extent on partial differential equations (PDEs). The second edition of Partial Differential Equations provides an introduction to the basic properties of PDEs and the ideas and techniques that have proven useful in analyzing them. It provides the student a broad perspective on the subject, illustrates the incredibly rich variety of phenomena encompassed by it, and imparts a working knowledge of the most important techniques of analysis of the solutions of the equations. In this book mathematical jargon is minimized. Our focus is on the three most classical PDEs: the wave, heat and Laplace equations. Advanced concepts are introduced frequently but with the least possible technicalities. The book is flexibly designed for juniors, seniors or beginning graduate students in science, engineering or mathematics.

Presents the state of the art in PDEs, including the latest research and short courses accessible to graduate students.