arXiv subjects

Matteo Fornoni

Publications and source records attributed to Matteo Fornoni.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

On a relaxed Cahn-Hilliard tumour growth model with single-well potential and degenerate mobility

We consider a phase-field system modelling solid tumour growth. This system consists of a Cahn-Hilliard equation coupled with a nutrient equation. The former is characterised by a degenerate mobility and a singular potential. Both equations are subject to suitable reaction terms which model proliferation and nutrient consumption. Chemotactic effects are also taken into account. Adding an elliptic regularisation, depending on a relaxation parameter $δ>0$, in the equation for the chemical potential, we prove the existence of a weak solution to an initial and boundary value problem for the relaxed system. Then, we let $δ$ go to zero, and we recover the existence of a weak solution to the original system.

math.AP↗

arXiv2026

Carleman estimates for backward Cahn-Hilliard-reaction-diffusion problems

We study a backward inverse problem for a coupled Cahn-Hilliard-reaction-diffusion system. Our main result is a Carleman estimate for a fourth-order/second-order parabolic system with cross-diffusion terms, which allows us to derive conditional stability estimates for the reconstruction of past states from a single final-time observation: Hölder stability at positive times and logarithmic stability for the initial datum. We then apply the Carleman estimate to a phase-field tumour growth model coupling the tumour volume fraction with a nutrient concentration. In this setting, we obtain backward uniqueness and quantitative stability for the recovery of early tumour states, improving earlier results based on logarithmic convexity, which only yielded uniqueness under an additional smallness assumption on the chemotaxis coefficient. We also discuss how these results support Lipschitz stability on finite-dimensional admissible sets, which is relevant for ensuring convergence of iterative discretisation algorithms.

math.AP↗

arXiv2025

Optimal control of the fidelity coefficient in a Cahn-Hilliard image inpainting model

We consider an inpainting model proposed by A. Bertozzi et al., which is based on a Cahn-Hilliard-type equation. This equation describes the evolution of an order parameter that represents an approximation of the original image occupying a bounded two-dimensional domain. The given image is assumed to be damaged in a fixed subdomain, and the equation is characterised by a linear reaction term. This term is multiplied by the so-called fidelity coefficient, which is a strictly positive bounded function defined in the undamaged region. The idea is that, given an initial image, the order parameter evolves towards the given image, and this process properly diffuses through the boundary of the damaged region, restoring the damaged image, provided that the fidelity coefficient is large enough. Here, we formulate an optimal control problem based on this fact, namely, our cost functional accounts for the magnitude of the fidelity coefficient. Assuming a singular potential to ensure that the order parameter takes its values in between 0 and 1, we first analyse the control-to-state operator and prove the existence of at least one optimal control, establishing the validity of first-order optimality conditions. Then, under suitable assumptions, we demonstrate second-order optimality conditions.

math.OC↗

arXiv2024

Identifying early tumour states in a Cahn-Hilliard-reaction-diffusion model

In this paper, we tackle the problem of reconstructing earlier tumour configurations starting from a single spatial measurement at a later time. We describe the tumour evolution through a diffuse interface model coupling a Cahn-Hilliard-type equation for the tumour phase field to a reaction-diffusion equation for a key nutrient proportion, also accounting for chemotaxis effects. We stress that the ability to reconstruct earlier tumour states is crucial for calibrating the model used to predict the tumour dynamics and also to identify the areas where the tumour initially began to develop. However, backward-in-time inverse problems are well-known to be severely ill-posed, even for linear parabolic equations. Moreover, we also face additional challenges due to the complexity of a non-linear fourth-order parabolic system. Nonetheless, we can establish uniqueness by using logarithmic convexity methods under suitable a priori assumptions. To further address the ill-posedness of the inverse problem, we propose a Tikhonov regularisation approach that approximates the solution through a family of constrained minimisation problems. For such problems, we analytically derive the first-order necessary optimality conditions. Finally, we develop a computationally efficient numerical approximation of the optimisation problems by employing standard $C^0$-conforming first-order finite elements. We conduct numerical experiments on several pertinent test cases and observe that the proposed algorithm consistently meets expectations, delivering accurate reconstructions of the original ground truth.

math.AP↗

arXiv2024

Iterative algorithms for the reconstruction of early states of prostate cancer growth

The development of mathematical models of cancer informed by time-resolved measurements has enabled personalised predictions of tumour growth and treatment response. However, frequent cancer monitoring is rare, and many tumours are treated soon after diagnosis with limited data. To improve the predictive capabilities of cancer models, we investigate the problem of recovering earlier tumour states from a single spatial measurement at a later time. Focusing on prostate cancer, we describe tumour dynamics using a phase-field model coupled with two reaction-diffusion equations for a nutrient and the local prostate-specific antigen. We generate synthetic data using a discretisation based on Isogeometric Analysis. Then, building on our previous analytical work (Beretta et al., SIAP (2024)), we propose an iterative reconstruction algorithm based on the Landweber scheme, showing local convergence with quantitative rates and exploring an adaptive step size that leads to faster reconstruction algorithms. Finally, we run simulations demonstrating high-quality reconstructions even with long time horizons and noisy data.

math.AP↗

arXiv2024

Maximal regularity and optimal control for a non-local Cahn-Hilliard tumour growth model

We consider a non-local tumour growth model of phase-field type, describing the evolution of tumour cells through proliferation in presence of a nutrient. The model consists of a coupled system, incorporating a non-local Cahn-Hilliard equation for the tumour phase variable and a reaction-diffusion equation for the nutrient. First, we establish novel regularity results for such a model, by applying maximal regularity theory in weighted $L^p$ spaces. This technique enables us to prove the local existence and uniqueness of a regular solution, including also chemotaxis effects. By leveraging time-regularisation properties and global boundedness estimates, we further extend the solution to a global one. These results provide the foundation for addressing an optimal distributed control problem, aimed at identifying a suitable therapy guiding the tumour towards a predefined target. Specifically, we prove the existence of an optimal therapy and, by studying the Fréchet-differentiability of the control-to-state operator and introducing the adjoint system, we derive first-order necessary optimality conditions.

math.AP↗

arXiv2024

Mathematical analysis of a model-constrained inverse problem for the reconstruction of early states of prostate cancer growth

The availability of cancer measurements over time enables the personalised assessment of tumour growth and therapeutic response dynamics. However, many tumours are treated after diagnosis without collecting longitudinal data, and cancer monitoring protocols may include infrequent measurements. To facilitate the estimation of disease dynamics and better guide ensuing clinical decisions, we investigate an inverse problem enabling the reconstruction of earlier tumour states by using a single spatial tumour dataset and a biomathematical model describing disease dynamics. We focus on prostate cancer, since aggressive cases of this disease are usually treated after diagnosis. We describe tumour dynamics with a phase-field model driven by a generic nutrient ruled by reaction-diffusion dynamics. The model is completed with another reaction-diffusion equation for the local production of prostate-specific antigen, which is a key prostate cancer biomarker. We first improve previous well-posedness results by further showing that the solution operator is continuously Fréchet differentiable. We then analyse the backward inverse problem concerning the reconstruction of earlier tumour states starting from measurements of the model variables at the final time. Since this problem is severely ill-posed, only very weak conditional stability of logarithmic type can be recovered from the terminal data. However, by restricting the unknowns to a compact subset of a finite-dimensional subspace, we can derive an optimal Lipschitz stability estimate.

math.AP↗

arXiv2023

Optimal distributed control for a viscous non-local tumour growth model

In this paper, we address an optimal distributed control problem for a non-local model of phase-field type, describing the evolution of tumour cells in presence of a nutrient. The model couples a non-local and viscous Cahn-Hilliard equation for the phase parameter with a reaction-diffusion equation for the nutrient. The optimal control problem aims at finding a therapy, encoded as a source term in the system, both in the form of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which could lead to the evolution of the phase variable towards a desired final target. First, we prove strong well-posedness for the system of non-linear partial differential equations. In particular, due to the presence of a viscous regularisation, we can also consider double-well potentials of singular type and cross-diffusion terms related to the effects of chemotaxis. Moreover, the particular structure of the reaction terms allows us to prove new regularity results for this kind of system. Then, turning to the optimal control problem, we prove the existence of an optimal therapy and, by studying Fréchet-differentiability properties of the control-to-state operator and the corresponding adjoint system, we obtain the first-order necessary optimality conditions.

math.AP↗

arXiv2022

Mosco convergence of Sobolev spaces and Sobolev inequalities for nonsmooth domains

We find extremely general classes of nonsmooth open sets which guarantee Mosco convergence for corresponding Sobolev spaces and the validity of Sobolev inequalities with a uniform constant. An important feature of our results is that the conditions we impose on the open sets for Mosco convergence and for the Sobolev inequalities are of the same nature, therefore it is easy to check when both are satisfied. Our analysis is motivated, in particular, by the study of the stability of the direct acoustic scattering problem with respect to the scatterer, which we also discuss. Concerning Mosco convergence in dimension 3 or higher, our result extends all those previously known in the literature. Concerning Sobolev inequalities, our approach seems to be new and considerably simplifies the conditions previously required for the stability of acoustic direct scattering problems.

math.AP↗