An optimization problem with volume constraint with applications to optimal mass transport

Abstract

In this manuscript we study the following optimization problem with volume constraint: \[ \min\left\{\frac{1}{p}\int_Ω |\nabla v|^pdx- \int_{\partial Ω} gv\,dS \colon v \in W^{1, p} \left(Ω\right), \text{ and } |\{v>0\}| \leq α\right\}. \] Here $g$ is acontinuous function and $α$ is a fixed constant such that $0< α< |Ω|$. Under the assumption that $\displaystyle \int_{\partial Ω} g(x)dS >0$ we prove that a minimizer exists and satisfies $$ \left\{ \begin{array}{ccl} -Δ_p u_p = 0 &\text{in } &\{u_p>0\} \cup \{u_p<0\}, \\[5pt] |\nabla u_p|^{p-2}\frac{\partial u_p}{\partial ν} = g & \text{on } &\partial Ω \cap\partial(\{u_p>0\} \cup \{u_p<0\} ) ,\\[5pt] |\{u_p>0\}| = α. & & \end{array} \right. $$ Next, we analyze the limit as $p\to \infty$. We obtain that any sequence of weak solutions converges, up to a subsequence, $\lim\limits_{p_j \to \infty} u_{p_j}(x)=u_{\infty}(x)$, uniformly in $\overlineΩ$, and uniform limits, $u_\infty$, are solutions to the maximization problem with volume constraint $$ \max\left\{ \int_{\partial Ω} gv\,dS \colon v \in W^{1, \infty} \left(Ω\right), \|\nabla v\|_{L^{\infty}(Ω)}\leq 1 \text{ and }|\{v>0\}| \leq α\right\}. $$ Furthermore, we obtain the limit equation that is verified by $u_\infty$ in the viscosity sense. Finally, it turns out that such a limit variational problem is connected to the Monge-Kantorovich mass transfer problem with the involved measures are supported on $\partial Ω$ and along the limiting free boundary, $\partial \{u_{\infty} \neq 0\}$.