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# A model for the quasi-static growth of a brittle fracture: existence and approximation results

## 1. INTRODUCTION

Since the pioneering work of A. Griffith , the growth of a brittle fracture is considered to be the result of the competition between the energy spent to increase the crack and the corresponding release of bulk energy. This idea is the basis of the celebrated Griffith’s criterion for crack growth (see, e.g., ), and is used to study the crack propagation along a preassigned path. The actual path followed by the crack is often determined by using different criteria (see, e.g., , , ).

Recently G.A. Francfort and J.-J. Marigo  proposed a variational model for the quasi-static growth of a brittle fracture, based on Griffith’s theory, where the interplay between bulk and surface energy determines also the crack path.

The purpose of this paper is to give a precise mathematical formulation of a variant of this model in the two-dimensional case, and to prove an existence result for the quasi-static evolution of a fracture by using the time discretization method proposed in .

To simplify the mathematical description of the model, we consider only linearly elastic homogeneous isotropic materials, with Lamé coefficients $`\lambda `$ and $`\mu `$. We restrict our analysis to the case of an anti-plane shear, where the reference configuration is an infinite cylinder $`\mathrm{\Omega }\times `$, with $`\mathrm{\Omega }^2`$, and the displacement has the special form $`(0,0,u(x_1,x_2))`$ for every $`(x_1,x_2,y)\mathrm{\Omega }\times `$. We assume also that the cracks have the form $`K\times `$, where $`K`$ is a compact set in $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$. In this case the notions of bulk energy and surface energy refer to a finite portion of the cylinder determined by two cross sections separated by a unit distance. The bulk energy is given by

(1.1)
$$\frac{\mu }{2}_{\mathrm{\Omega }K}|u|^2𝑑x,$$

while the surface energy is given by

(1.2)
$$k^1(K),$$

where $`k`$ is a constant which depends on the toughness of the material, and $`^1`$ is the one-dimensional Hausdorff measure, which coincides with the ordinary length in case $`K`$ is a rectifiable arc. For simplicity we take $`\mu =2`$ and $`k=1`$ in (1.1) and (1.2).

We assume that $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is a simply connected bounded open set with a Lipschitz boundary $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$, which, under these assumptions, is a simple closed curve. As in , we fix a subset $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }`$ of $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$, on which we want to prescribe a Dirichlet boundary condition for $`u`$. We assume that $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is composed of a finite number of simple open arcs with disjoint closures.

Given a function $`g`$ on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }`$, we consider the boundary condition $`u=g`$ on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. We can not prescribe a Dirichlet boundary condition on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, because the boundary displacement is not transmitted through the crack, if the crack touches the boundary. Assuming that the fracture is traction free (and, in particular, without friction), the displacement $`u`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ is obtained by minimizing (1.1) under the boundary condition $`u=g`$ on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. The total energy relative to the boundary displacement $`g`$ and to the crack determined by $`K`$ is therefore

(1.3)
$$(g,K)=\underset{v}{\mathrm{min}}\left\{_{\mathrm{\Omega }K}|v|^2𝑑x+^1(K):v=g\text{ on }_D\mathrm{\Omega }K\right\}.$$

As $`K`$ is not assumed to be smooth, we have to be careful in the precise mathematical formulation of this minimum problem, which is given at the beginning of Section 3. The corresponding existence result is based on some properties of the Deny-Lions spaces, that are described in Section 2.

In the theory developed in  a crack with finite surface energy is any compact subset $`K`$ of $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$ with $`^1(K)<+\mathrm{}`$. For technical reasons, that will be explained later, we propose a variant of this model, where we consider only cracks that are compact and connected (these sets are called continua). There is no mechanical motivation for this choice, which is dictated by mathematical convenience. Without this restriction some convergence arguments used in the proof of our existence result are not justified by the present development of the mathematical theories related to this subject.

We now describe our model of quasi-static irreversible evolution of a fracture under the action of a time dependent boundary displacement $`g(t)`$, $`0t1`$. As usual, we assume that $`g(t)`$ can be extended to a function, still denoted by $`g(t)`$, which belongs to the Sobolev space $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. In addition, we assume that the function $`tg(t)`$ is absolutely continuous from $`[0,1]`$ into $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. Following the ideas of , given an initial (compact connected) crack $`K_0`$, with $`^1(K_0)<+\mathrm{}`$, we look for an increasing family $`K(t)`$, $`0t1`$, of (compact connected) cracks, with $`^1(K(t))<+\mathrm{}`$, such that for any time $`t(0,1]`$ the crack $`K(t)`$ minimizes the total energy $`(g(t),K)`$ among all (compact connected) cracks which contain all previous cracks $`K(s)`$, $`s<t`$. For $`t=0`$ we assume that $`K(0)`$ minimizes $`(g(0),K)`$ among all (compact connected) cracks which contain $`K_0`$.

This minimality condition for every time $`t`$ is inspired by Griffith’s analysis of the energy balance. The constraint given by the presence of the previous cracks reflects the irreversibility of the evolution and the absence of a healing process. In addition to this minimality condition we require also that $`\frac{d}{ds}(g(t),K(s))|_{s=t}=0`$ for a.e. $`t[0,1]`$. In the special case $`g(t)=th`$ for a given function $`hH^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$, we will see (Proposition 7.14) that the last condition implies the third condition considered in Definition 2.9 of : $`(g(t),K(t))(g(t),K(s))`$ for $`s<t`$.

In Section 7 we prove the following existence result, where $`𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ is the set of all continua $`K`$ contained in $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$ and such that $`^1(K)<+\mathrm{}`$.

###### Theorem 1.1.

Let $`gAC([0,1];H^1(\mathrm{\Omega }))`$ and let $`K_0𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$. Then there exists a function $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ such that

* $`K_0K(s)K(t)`$ for $`0st1`$,
* $`(g(0),K(0))(g(0),K)K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}),KK_0`$,
* $`\text{for }\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}0}<t1(g(t),K(t))(g(t),K)K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}),K_{s<t}K(s)`$,
* $`t(g(t),K(t))\text{ is absolutely continuous on }[0,1]`$,
* $`{\displaystyle \frac{d}{ds}}(g(t),K(s))|s=t=0\text{for a.e. }t[0,1]`$.

Moreover every function $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ which satisfies (a)–(e) satisfies also

* $`{\displaystyle \frac{d}{dt}}(g(t),K(t))=2{\displaystyle _{\mathrm{\Omega }K(t)}}u(t)\dot{g}(t)𝑑x\text{ for a.e. }t[0,1]`$,

where $`u(t)`$ is a solution of the minimum problem (1.3) which defines $`(g(t),K(t))`$, and $`\dot{g}(t)`$ is the time derivative of the function $`g(t)`$.

If $`g(0)=0`$ and $`K_0Ø`$, conditions (a) and (b) imply that $`K(0)=K_0`$. If $`g(0)=0`$ and $`K_0=Ø`$, we can prove that there exists a solution of problem (a)–(e) with $`K(0)=K_0`$ (Remark 7.13). We underline that, although we can not exclude that the surface energy $`^1(K(t))`$ may present some jump discontinuities in time (see \[19, Section 4.3\]), in our result the total energy is always an absolutely continuous function of time by condition (d).

If $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is sufficiently smooth, we can integrate by parts the right hand side of (f) and, taking into account the Euler equation satisfied by $`u(t)`$, we obtain

(1.4)
$$\frac{d}{dt}(g(t),K(t))=2_{_D\mathrm{\Omega }K(t)}\frac{u(t)}{\nu }\dot{g}(t)𝑑^1\text{ for a.e. }t[0,1],$$

where $`\nu `$ is the outer unit normal to $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Since the right hand side of (1.4) is the power of the force exerted on the boundary to obtain the displacement $`g(t)`$ on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K(t)`$, equality (1.4) expresses the conservation of energy in our quasi-static model, where all kinetic effects are neglected.

The proof of this existence result is obtained by a time discretization process. Given a time step $`\delta >0`$, for every integer $`i0`$ we set $`t_i^\delta :=i\delta `$ and $`g_i^\delta :=g(t_i^\delta )`$. We define $`K_i^\delta `$, inductively, as a solution of the minimum problem

(1.5)
$$\underset{K}{\mathrm{min}}\left\{(g_i^\delta ,K):K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}),KK_{i1}^\delta \right\},$$

where we set $`K_1^\delta =K_0`$.

Let $`u_i^\delta `$ be a solution of the minimum problem (1.3) which defines $`(g_i^\delta ,K_i^\delta )`$. On $`[0,1]`$ we define the step functions $`K_\delta `$ and $`u_\delta `$ by setting $`K_\delta (t):=K_i^\delta `$ and $`u_\delta (t):=u_i^\delta `$ for $`t_i^\delta t<t_{i+1}^\delta `$.

Using a standard monotonicity argument, we prove that there exists a sequence $`(\delta _k)`$ converging to $`0`$ such that, for every $`t[0,1]`$, $`K_\delta (t)`$ converges to a continuum $`K(t)`$ in the Hausdorff metric as $`\delta 0`$ along this sequence. Then we can apply the results on the convergence of the solutions to mixed boundary value problems in cracked domains established in Section 4, and we prove that, if $`u(t)`$ is a solution of the minimum problem (1.3) which defines $`(g(t),K(t))`$, then $`u_\delta (t)`$ converges to $`u(t)`$ strongly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega },^2)`$ as $`\delta 0`$ along the same sequence considered above.

The technical hypothesis that the sets $`K_\delta (t)`$ are connected plays a crucial role here. Indeed, if this hypothesis is dropped, the convergence in the Hausdorff metric of the cracks $`K_\delta (t)`$ to the crack $`K(t)`$ does not imply the convergence of the corresponding solutions of the minimum problems, as shown by many examples in homogenization theory that can be found, e.g., in , , , , . These papers show also that the hypothesis of connectedness would not be enough in dimension larger than two.

The results of Section 4 are similar to those obtained by A. Chambolle and F. Doveri in  and by D. Bucur and N. Varchon in  and , which deal with the case of a pure Neumann boundary condition. Since we impose a Dirichlet boundary condition on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K_\delta (t)`$ and a Neumann boundary condition on the rest of the boundary, our results can not be deduced easily from these papers, so we give an independent proof, which uses the duality argument of .

From this convergence result and from an approximation lemma with respect to the Hausdorff metric, proved in Section 5, we obtain properties (a), (b), (c), (e), and (f) in integrated form, which implies (d).

The time discretization process described above turns out to be a useful tool for the proof of the existence of a solution $`K(t)`$ of the problem considered in Theorem 1.1, and provides also an effective way for the numerical approximation of this solution (see ), since many algorithms have been developed for the numerical solution of minimum problems of the form (1.5) (see, e.g., , , , , , ).

In Section 8 we study the motion of the tips of the time dependent crack $`K(t)`$ obtained in Theorem 1.1, assuming that, in some open interval $`(t_0,t_1)[0,1]`$, the crack $`K(t)`$ has a fixed number of tips, that these tips move smoothly, and that their paths are simple, disjoint and do not intersect $`K(t_0)`$. We prove (Theorem 8.4) that in this case Griffith’s criterion for crack growth is valid in our model: the absolute value of the stress intensity factor (see Theorem 8.1 and Remark 8.2) of the solution $`u(t)`$ is less than or equal to $`1`$ at each tip for every $`t(t_0,t_1)`$, and it is equal to $`1`$ at a given tip for almost every instant $`t(t_0,t_1)`$ in which the tip moves with positive velocity.

## 2. NOTATION AND PRELIMINARIES

Given an open subset $`A`$ of $`^2`$, we say that $`A`$ has a Lipschitz boundary at a point $`xA`$ if $`A`$ is the graph of a Lipschitz function near $`x`$, in the sense that there exist an orthogonal coordinate system $`(y_1,y_2)`$, a rectangle $`=(a,b)\times (c,d)`$ containing $`x`$, and a Lipschitz function $`\mathrm{\Phi }:(a,b)(c,d)`$, such that $`A=\{y:y_2<\mathrm{\Phi }(y_1)\}`$. The set of all these points $`x`$ is the Lipschitz part of the boundary and will be denoted by $`_LA`$. If $`_LA=A`$, we say that $`A`$ has a Lipschitz boundary.

Besides the Sobolev space $`H^1(A)`$ we shall use also the Deny-Lions space $`L^{1,2}(A):=\{uL_{loc}^2(A)|uL^2(A;^2)\}`$, which coincides with the space of all distributions $`u`$ on $`A`$ such that $`uL^2(A;^2)`$ (see, e.g., \[25, Theorem 1.1.2\]). For the proof of the following result we refer, e.g., to \[25, Section 1.1.13\].

###### Proposition 2.1.

The set $`\{u:uL^{1,2}(A)\}`$ is closed in $`L^2(A;^2)`$.

Under some regularity assumptions on the boundary, the following result holds.

###### Proposition 2.2.

Let $`uL^{1,2}(A)`$ and $`x_LA`$. Then there exists a neighbourhood $`U`$ of $`x`$ such that $`u|_{AU}H^1(AU)`$. In particular, if $`A`$ is bounded and has a Lipschitz boundary, then $`L^{1,2}(A)=H^1(A)`$.

###### Proof.

Let $``$ be the rectangle given by the definition of Lipschitz boundary. It is easy to check that $`A`$ has a Lipschitz boundary. The conclusion follows now from the Corollary to Lemma 1.1.11 in . ∎

We recall some properties of the functions in the spaces $`H^1(A)`$ and $`L^{1,2}(A)`$, which are related to the notion of capacity. For more details we refer to , , , and .

###### Definition 2.3.

The capacity of an arbitrary subset $`E`$ of $`^2`$ is defined as

$$\mathrm{cap}(E):=\underset{u𝒰_E}{inf}\left\{_^2|u|^2𝑑x+_^2|u|^2𝑑x\right\},$$

where $`𝒰_E`$ is the set of all functions $`uH^1(^2)`$ such that $`u1`$ a.e. in a neighbourhood of $`E`$.

We say that a property is true quasi-everywhere on a set $`E`$, and write q.e., if it holds on $`E`$ except on a set of capacity zero. As usual, the expression almost everywhere, abbreviated as a.e., refers to the Lebesgue measure.

A function $`u:E\overline{}`$ is said to be quasi-continuous on $`E`$ if for every $`\epsilon >0`$ there exists an open set $`U_\epsilon `$, with $`\mathrm{cap}(U_\epsilon )<\epsilon `$, such that $`u|_{EU_\epsilon }`$ is continuous on $`EU_\epsilon `$.

It is known that every function $`uL^{1,2}(A)`$ has a quasi-continuous representative $`\stackrel{~}{u}`$, which is uniquely defined q.e. on $`A_LA`$, and satisfies

(2.1)
$$\underset{\rho 0}{lim}_{B_\rho (x)A}|u(y)\stackrel{~}{u}(x)|𝑑y=0\text{for q.e. }xA_LA,$$

where $``$ denotes the average and $`B_\rho (x)`$ is the open ball with centre $`x`$ and radius $`\rho `$. If $`u_nu`$ strongly in $`H^1(A)`$, then a subsequence of $`(\stackrel{~}{u}_n)`$ converges to $`\stackrel{~}{u}`$ q.e. in $`A_LA`$. If $`u,vL^{1,2}(A)`$ and their traces coincide $`^1`$-a.e. on $`_LA`$ then $`\stackrel{~}{u}`$ and $`\stackrel{~}{v}`$ coincide q.e. on $`_LA`$.

In the quoted books the quasi-continuous representatives are defined only on $`A`$. The straightforward definition of $`\stackrel{~}{u}`$ on $`_LA`$ relies on the existence of extension operators for Lipschitz domains; the q.e. uniqueness of $`\stackrel{~}{u}`$ on $`_LA`$ can be deduced from (2.1). To simplify the notation we shall always identify each function $`uL^{1,2}(A)`$ with its quasi-continuous representative $`\stackrel{~}{u}`$.

Propositions 2.1 and 2.2 imply the following result.

###### Corollary 2.4.

Assume that $`A`$ is connected, and let $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ be a non-empty relatively open subset of $`A`$ with $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_LA`$. Then the space $`L_0^{1,2}(A,\mathrm{\Gamma }):=\{uL^{1,2}(A):u=0\text{ q.e. on }\mathrm{\Gamma }\}`$ is a Hilbert space with the norm $`u_{L^2(A;^2)}`$. Moreover, if $`(u_n)`$ is a bounded sequence in $`L_0^{1,2}(A,\mathrm{\Gamma })`$, then there exist a subsequence, still denoted by $`(u_n)`$, and a function $`uL_0^{1,2}(A,\mathrm{\Gamma })`$ such that $`u_nu`$ weakly in $`L^2(A;^2)`$.

###### Proof.

Let $`(v_n)`$ be a Cauchy sequence in $`L_0^{1,2}(A,\mathrm{\Gamma })`$. We can construct an increasing sequence $`(A_k)`$ of connected open sets with Lipschitz boundary such that $`A=_kA_k`$, and $`\mathrm{\Gamma }=_k(A_kA)`$.

By Proposition 2.2 the functions $`v_n`$ belong to $`H^1(A_k)`$ and $`v_n=0`$ q.e. on $`A_kA`$. As $`^1(A_kA)>0`$ for $`k`$ large enough, by the Poincaré inequality $`(v_n)`$ is a Cauchy sequence in $`H^1(A_k)`$, and therefore it converges strongly in $`H^1(A_k)`$ to a function $`v`$ with $`v=0`$ q.e. on $`A_kA`$. It is then easy to construct a function $`vL^{1,2}(A)`$ such that $`v=0`$ q.e. on $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ and $`v_nv`$ strongly in $`H^1(A_k)`$ for every $`k`$. As $`(v_n)`$ converges strongly in $`L^2(A;^2)`$, we conclude that $`v_nv`$ strongly in $`L_0^{1,2}(A;\mathrm{\Gamma })`$.

Let $`(u_n)`$ be a bounded sequence in $`L_0^{1,2}(A,\mathrm{\Gamma })`$. As in the previous part of the proof we deduce that $`(u_n)`$ is bounded in $`H^1(A_k)`$ for every $`k`$. By a diagonal argument we can prove that there exist a subsequence, still denoted by $`(u_n)`$, and a function $`uL^{1,2}(A)`$ such that $`u_nu`$ weakly in $`H^1(A_k)`$ for every $`k`$. This implies $`u=0`$ q.e. on $`A_kA`$ for every $`k`$, hence $`uL_0^{1,2}(A,\mathrm{\Gamma })`$. As $`(u_n)`$ is bounded in $`L^2(A;^2)`$, we conclude that $`u_nu`$ weakly in $`L^2(A;^2)`$. ∎

Given a metric space $`M`$, the Hausdorff distance between two closed subsets $`K_1,K_2`$ of $`M`$ is defined by

$$d_H(K_1,K_2):=\mathrm{min}\{1,\mathrm{max}\{\underset{xK_1}{sup}\mathrm{dist}(x,K_2),\underset{yK_2}{sup}\mathrm{dist}(y,K_1)\}\},$$

with the usual conventions $`\mathrm{dist}(x,Ø)=+\mathrm{}`$ and $`supØ=0`$, so that $`d_H(Ø,K)=0`$ if $`K=Ø`$ and $`d_H(Ø,K)=1`$ if $`KØ`$. We say that $`K_nK`$ in the Hausdorff metric if $`d_H(K_n,K)0`$. The following compactness theorem is well-known (see, e.g., \[32, Blaschke’s Selection Theorem\]).

###### Theorem 2.5.

Let $`(K_n)`$ be a sequence of closed subsets of a compact metric space $`M`$. Then there exists a subsequence which converges in the Hausdorff metric to a closed set $`KM`$.

We recall that a continuum is a closed and connected set. The class of continua is stable under convergence in the Hausdorff metric.

###### Remark 2.6.

Note that, if $`K`$ is a continuum in $`^2`$ and $`x,yK`$, then $`^1(K)|xy|`$. This implies that if $`K,H`$ are continua in $`^2`$, $`KH`$, and $`^1(HK)=0`$, then either $`H=K`$, or $`K=Ø`$ and $`H`$ has only one element.

## 3. PROPERTIES OF THE HARMONIC CONJUGATE

Throughout the paper $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is a fixed bounded simply connected open subset of $`^2`$ with a Lipschitz boundary $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$, which, under these assumptions, is a simple closed curve. We fix also a (possibly empty) subset $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$ of $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$, composed of a finite number of simple open arcs with disjoint closures, on which we shall impose a Neumann boundary condition. Let $`_S\mathrm{\Omega }`$ be the finite set of the end-points of the arcs which compose $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$, and let $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }:=\mathrm{\Omega }(_N\mathrm{\Omega }_S\mathrm{\Omega })`$, which turns out to be the union of a finite number of simple open arcs. On this set we want to impose a Dirichlet boundary condition.

Given a compact set $`K`$ in $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$, we consider the following boundary value problem:

(3.1)
$$\{\begin{array}{cc}\mathrm{\Delta }u=0\hfill & \text{in }\mathrm{\Omega }K,\hfill \\ \frac{u}{\nu }=0\hfill & \text{on }(\mathrm{\Omega }K)(K_N\mathrm{\Omega }).\hfill \end{array}$$

By a solution of (3.1) we mean a function $`u`$ which satisfies the following conditions:

(3.2)
$$\{\begin{array}{c}uL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K),\hfill \\ _{\mathrm{\Omega }K}uzdx=0zL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K),z=0\text{q.e. on }_D\mathrm{\Omega }K.\hfill \end{array}$$

Any solution $`u`$ of (3.2) satisfies $`\mathrm{\Delta }u=0`$ in the sense of distributions in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ and, therefore, belongs to $`C^{\mathrm{}}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$.

Since no boundary condition is prescribed on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, we do not expect a unique solution to problem (3.1). Given $`gL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$, we can prescribe the Dirichlet boundary condition

(3.3)
$$u=g\text{q.e. on }_D\mathrm{\Omega }K.$$

It is clear that problem (3.2) with the boundary condition (3.3) can be solved separately in each connected component of $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. By Corollary 2.4 and by the Lax-Milgram lemma there exists a unique solution in those components whose boundary meets $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, while on the other components the solution is given by an arbitrary constant. Thus the solution is not unique, if there is a connected component whose boundary does not meet $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. Note, however, that $`u`$ is always unique. Moreover, the map $`gu`$ is linear from $`L^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ into $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega }K;^2)`$ and satisfies the estimate

$$_{\mathrm{\Omega }K}|u|^2𝑑x_{\mathrm{\Omega }K}|g|^2𝑑x.$$

By standard arguments on the minimization of quadratic forms it is easy to see that $`u`$ is a solution of problem (3.2) and satisfies the boundary condition (3.3) if and only if $`u`$ is a solution of the minimum problem

(3.4)
$$\underset{v𝒱(g,K)}{\mathrm{min}}_{\mathrm{\Omega }K}|v|^2𝑑x,$$

where

(3.5)
$$𝒱(g,K):=\{vL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K):v=g\text{q.e. on }_D\mathrm{\Omega }K\}.$$

Throughout the paper, given a function $`uL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$, we always extend $`u`$ to $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ by setting $`u=0`$ a.e. on $`K`$. Note that, however, $`u`$ is the distributional gradient of $`u`$ only in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, and, in general, it does not coincide in $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ with the gradient of an extension of $`u`$.

In the next lemma we prove, under some additional regularity assumptions, that every solution $`u`$ of (3.1) has a harmonic conjugate $`v`$ on $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ which vanishes on $`K`$ and is constant on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Let $`R`$ be the rotation on $`^2`$ given by $`R(y_1,y_2)=(y_2,y_1)`$.

###### Lemma 3.1.

Assume that $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is a manifold of class $`C^{\mathrm{}}`$. Let $`K`$ be a continuum that can be written in the form $`K:=\overline{A}\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$, where $`A`$ is an open set with a $`C^{\mathrm{}}`$ boundary, $`A_S\mathrm{\Omega }=Ø`$, $`A\mathrm{\Omega }`$ has a finite number of points, and $`A`$ meets $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$ forming angles different from $`0`$ and $`\pi `$. Let $`u`$ be a solution of problem (3.2), let $`E:=\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}\overline{_D\mathrm{\Omega }K}`$, and let $`F:=A_D\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Then there exists a function $`vH^1(\mathrm{\Omega })C^0(E)C^{\mathrm{}}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$, such that $`\mathrm{\Delta }v=0`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, $`v=Ru`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, $`v=0`$ on $`KF`$, and $`v`$ is constant on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

###### Proof.

If $`C`$ is a connected component of $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ whose boundary does not meet $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, then $`C`$ is simply connected. Indeed, if $`U`$ is a bounded open set with $`UC`$, then $`UC`$, since otherwise $`KUØ`$ and $`K\overline{U}Ø`$, which contradicts the fact that $`K`$ is connected. Therefore in this case $`KC=C`$ is connected.

Let $`C`$ be a connected component of $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ whose boundary meets $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. If $`K\mathrm{\Omega }Ø`$, by applying the previous result to the continuum $`K^{}:=K\mathrm{\Omega }`$, we obtain that $`C`$ is simply connected. By our regularity assumptions $`C`$ is a closed simple curve. We want to prove that $`KC`$ is connected. If not, there exist $`x,y\mathrm{\Omega }C`$ such that $`K`$ intersects both connected components of $`C\{x,y\}`$. Let $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ be a simple arc connecting $`x`$ and $`y`$, whose interior points lie in $`C`$. As $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is simply connected, $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ divides $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$ into two relatively open connected components, each of which contains one of the connected components of $`C\{x,y\}`$, and hence intersects $`K`$. As $`K`$ does not meet $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$, this contradicts the fact that $`K`$ is connected. Therefore $`KC`$ is connected.

If $`K\mathrm{\Omega }=Ø`$, then $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ has exactly one connected component $`C`$ whose boundary intersects $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Let $`H`$ be the connected component of $`K`$ which contains $`KC`$. By our regularity assumption, it is easy to see that $`KC`$ is closed and open in $`H`$, so that $`KC`$ coincides with $`H`$, and hence it is connected.

Let us prove that in each connected component $`C`$ of $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ there exists a harmonic function $`v`$ such that $`v=Ru`$. As the differential form $`D_2udx_1+D_1udx_2`$ is closed, the existence of $`v`$ is trivial if $`C`$ is simply connected. The only non-trivial case is when $`K\mathrm{\Omega }=Ø`$ and $`C`$ is the unique connected component of $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ whose boundary intersects $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Let $`U`$ be an open set with smooth boundary such that $`KU\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Since $`u`$ is a solution of (3.2), integrating by parts we obtain that $`_U\frac{u}{\nu }𝑑^1=0`$. This implies that the integral on $`U`$ of the differential form $`D_2udx_1+D_1udx_2`$ vanishes, and proves the existence of the harmonic conjugate also in this case.

Let $`\tau `$ and $`\nu `$ be smooth tangent and normal vectors to $`K\mathrm{\Omega }=A\mathrm{\Omega }`$. By classical regularity results for solutions to Neumann problems on domains with corners (see \[21, Theorem 4.4.3.7\]), we have that $`u`$ has a continuous extension to $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }K}\overline{_D\mathrm{\Omega }K}`$ and $`\frac{u}{\nu }=0`$ on $`\mathrm{\Omega }A`$ and on $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. This implies that $`v`$ and $`v`$ have a continuous extension to $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }K}\overline{_D\mathrm{\Omega }K}`$ and $`\frac{v}{\tau }=0`$ on $`\mathrm{\Omega }A`$ and on $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, hence $`v`$ is constant on $`(KC)F`$ for every connected component $`C`$ of $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ (as $`KC`$ is connected, so is $`(KC)F`$, which is obtained by possibly removing some of its end-points). We can choose the integration constant in each connected component so that $`v=0`$ on $`KC`$, therefore if we define $`v=0`$ in $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}A`$ we obtain that $`v`$ belongs to $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$, is continuous in $`E`$, and $`v=0`$ on $`KF`$. Moreover $`v`$ is harmonic in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ and $`v=Ru`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. As $`\frac{v}{\tau }=0`$ on $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, $`v`$ is constant on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. As $`v=0`$ on $`KF`$, the continuity of $`v`$ implies that $`v`$ is constant on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$. ∎

To extend the previous result to the case of a general continuum $`K`$, we use the following lemma, which is established in its more general form in view of the applications in the next sections.

###### Lemma 3.2.

Suppose that $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is the union of an increasing sequence $`(\mathrm{\Omega }_n)`$ of open sets. Let $`(K_n)`$ be a sequence of compact sets contained in $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$ which converges to a compact set $`K`$ in the Hausdorff metric. Let $`u_nL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }_nK_n)`$ be a sequence such that $`u_n_{L^2(\mathrm{\Omega }_nK_n;^2)}`$ is bounded. Then there exist a subsequence, still denoted by $`(u_n)`$, and a function $`uL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$, such that $`u_nu`$ weakly in $`L^2(U;^2)`$ for every open set $`U\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. If, in addition, $`\mathrm{meas}(K_n)\mathrm{meas}(K)`$, then $`u_nu`$ weakly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$, where we set $`u_n=0`$ on $`(\mathrm{\Omega }\mathrm{\Omega }_n)K_n`$ and $`u=0`$ on $`K`$.

###### Proof.

For every open set $`U\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ we have $`U\mathrm{\Omega }_nK_n`$ for $`n`$ large enough. Since the sequence $`(u_n)`$ is bounded in $`L^2(U;^2)`$, there exists a subsequence, still denoted by $`(u_n)`$, such that $`(u_n)`$ converges weakly in $`L^2(U;^2)`$ to some function $`\phi L^2(U;^2)`$. Since the space $`\{v:vL^{1,2}(U)\}`$ is closed in $`L^2(U;^2)`$, we conclude that there exists $`uL^{1,2}(U)`$ such that $`u=\phi `$ a.e. in $`U`$. Repeating the same argument for all $`U\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, we construct $`uL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ such that $`u=\phi `$ a.e. in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$.

Assume now that $`\mathrm{meas}(K_n)\mathrm{meas}(K)`$ and let $`\psi L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$. For every $`\epsilon >0`$ there exists $`\delta >0`$ such that $`_A|\psi |^2𝑑x<\epsilon ^2`$ for $`\mathrm{meas}(A)<\delta `$. Let $`U\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ be an open set such that $`\mathrm{meas}((\mathrm{\Omega }K)U))<\delta `$. As $`U\mathrm{\Omega }_nK_n`$ for $`n`$ large enough, we have also $`\mathrm{meas}((\mathrm{\Omega }_nK_n)U))<\delta `$. Then

$$\left|_\mathrm{\Omega }(u_nu)\psi 𝑑x\right|\left|_U(u_nu)\psi 𝑑x\right|+c_1\epsilon +c_2\epsilon ,$$

where $`c_1`$ is an upper bound for $`u_n_{L^2(\mathrm{\Omega }_nK_n;^2)}`$ and $`c_2:=u_{L^2(\mathrm{\Omega }K;^2)}`$. From the previous part of the lemma $`lim\; sup_n|_\mathrm{\Omega }(u_nu)\psi 𝑑x|c_1\epsilon +c_2\epsilon `$ and the conclusion follows from the arbitrariness of $`\epsilon `$. ∎

We are now in a position to prove the main result of this section.

###### Theorem 3.3.

Let $`K`$ be a continuum in $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$ and let $`u`$ be a solution of problem (3.2). Then there exists a function $`vH^1(\mathrm{\Omega })C^{\mathrm{}}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ such that $`\mathrm{\Delta }v=0`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, $`v=Ru`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, $`v=0`$ q.e. on $`K`$, and $`v`$ is constant q.e. on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

###### Proof.

We can express $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ as the union of an increasing sequence $`(\mathrm{\Omega }_j)`$ of simply connected open sets, with $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }_S\mathrm{\Omega }\mathrm{\Omega }_j`$, such that $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }_j:=\mathrm{\Omega }_j(_D\mathrm{\Omega }_S\mathrm{\Omega })`$ is a finite union of regular open arcs of class $`C^{\mathrm{}}`$ that are in one-to-one correspondence with the connected components of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$, so that corresponding arcs have the same end-points.

We can also write $`K`$ as the intersection of a decreasing sequence $`(A_j)`$ of open sets with boundary of class $`C^{\mathrm{}}`$ such that $`K_j:=\overline{A}_j\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}_j`$ is connected, $`A_j_S\mathrm{\Omega }=Ø`$, $`A_j\mathrm{\Omega }_j`$ has a finite number of points, and $`A_j`$ meets $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }_j`$ forming angles different from $`0`$ and $`\pi `$.

As $`uL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }_jK_j)`$, there exists a solution $`u_j`$ to the problem

(3.6)
$$\{\begin{array}{c}u_jL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }_jK_j),u_j=u\text{q.e. on }_D\mathrm{\Omega }K_j,\hfill \\ _{\mathrm{\Omega }_jK_j}u_jzdx=0zL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }_jK_j),z=0\text{q.e. on }_D\mathrm{\Omega }K_j.\hfill \end{array}$$

Using $`u_ju`$ as test function in (3.6), we obtain that the norms $`u_j_{L^2(\mathrm{\Omega }_jK_j)}`$ are uniformly bounded. By Lemma 3.2, there exists $`u^{}L^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ such that, up to a subsequence, $`(u_j)`$ converges to $`u^{}`$ weakly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$.

Let us prove that

(3.7)
$$u^{}=u\text{ a.e. in }\mathrm{\Omega }K.$$

To this end it is enough to construct a solution $`w`$ of (3.2) such that $`u^{}=w`$ a.e. in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ and $`w=u`$ q.e. on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$.

Let $`C`$ be a connected component of $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ whose boundary meets $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, and let $`xC`$. Given $`\epsilon >0`$ small enough, let $`N^\epsilon :=\{x^2:\mathrm{dist}(x,_N\mathrm{\Omega }K)\epsilon \}`$ and let $`C^\epsilon `$ be the connected component of $`CN^\epsilon `$ containing $`x`$.

Let $`\mathrm{\Gamma }^\epsilon `$ be the relative interior of $`C^\epsilon _D\mathrm{\Omega }`$ in $`C^\epsilon `$. As $`C`$ meets $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, for $`\epsilon `$ small enough $`\mathrm{\Gamma }^\epsilon Ø`$. Using Corollary 2.4 we deduce that there exists $`wL^{1,2}(C^\epsilon )`$ such that $`w=u`$ q.e. on $`\mathrm{\Gamma }^\epsilon `$ and, up to a subsequence, $`u_jw`$ weakly in $`L^2(C^\epsilon ;^2)`$. Hence $`w=u^{}`$ a.e. in $`C^\epsilon `$. Since $`\epsilon >0`$ is arbitrary, we can construct a function $`wL^{1,2}(C)`$ such that $`w=u`$ q.e. on $`C(_D\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ and $`w=u^{}`$ a.e. in $`C`$.

Let now $`C`$ be a connected component of $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ whose boundary does not meet $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ and let $`xC`$. It is easy to see that $`C`$ is the union of the increasing sequence $`(C_j)`$ of the connected components of $`\mathrm{\Omega }_jK_j`$ containing $`x`$. Since $`C_j`$ does not meet $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K_j`$ and $`u_j`$ is a solution of (3.6), we conclude that $`u_j=0`$ a.e. in $`C_j`$, hence $`u^{}=0`$ a.e. in $`C`$. We define $`w:=0`$ in these connected components.

In this way we have defined a function $`w`$ on each connected component of $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ such that $`wL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$, $`w=u`$ q.e. on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, $`w=u^{}`$ a.e. in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, and hence $`u_j`$ converges to $`w`$ weakly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$.

To conclude the proof of (3.7) it is enough to show that $`w`$ is a solution of (3.2). Let $`zL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ with $`z=0`$ q.e. on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. As $`zL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K_j)`$ and $`z=0`$ q.e. on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K_j`$, we can use $`z`$ as test function in (3.6). Then passing to the limit as $`j\mathrm{}`$ we obtain (3.2), and the proof of (3.7) is complete.

Let $`v_jH^1(\mathrm{\Omega }_j)`$, with $`v_j=0`$ q.e. on $`K_j`$, be the harmonic conjugate of $`u_j`$ on $`\mathrm{\Omega }_jK_j`$ given by Lemma 3.1. As $`v_j=Ru_j`$ a.e. on $`\mathrm{\Omega }_jK_j`$ and $`v_j=0`$ a.e. on $`K_j`$, we deduce that $`(v_j)`$ is bounded in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$. Since $`v_j`$ is constant on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }_j`$, our hypotheses on the sets $`\mathrm{\Omega }_j`$ imply that this function can be extended to a function, still denoted by $`v_j`$, which belongs to $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ and is locally constant on $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}_j`$. In particular we have that $`v_j`$ is constant on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$ and $`(v_j)`$ is bounded in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$.

Assume that $`K`$ has more than one point. Then $`lim\; inf_j\mathrm{diam}(K_j)>0`$; since the sets $`K_j`$ are connected, we obtain also $`lim\; inf_j\mathrm{cap}(K_j)=:\delta >0`$. As $`v_j=0`$ q.e. on $`K_j`$, using the Poincaré inequality (see, e.g. \[36, Corollary 4.5.3\]) it follows that $`(v_j)`$ is bounded in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$, hence there exists a function $`vH^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ such that, up to a subsequence, $`v_jv`$ weakly in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. This implies that $`v=Ru`$ a.e. in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, that $`v=0`$ q.e. in $`K`$, and that $`v`$ is constant q.e. on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

Assume now that $`K`$ has only one point, and let $`v_j^\mathrm{\Omega }`$ be the mean value of $`v_j`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. By the Poincaré inequality, the sequence $`(v_jv_j^\mathrm{\Omega })`$ is bounded in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$, hence a subsequence converges to a function $`v`$ weakly in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. It is clear that $`v=Ru`$ a.e. in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ and that $`v`$ is constant q.e. on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$. The condition $`v=0`$ q.e. on $`K`$ is trivial in this case. ∎

###### Theorem 3.4.

Let $`K`$ be a continuum in $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$ and let $`vH^1(\mathrm{\Omega })C^{\mathrm{}}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ be a function such that $`\mathrm{\Delta }v=0`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, $`v=0`$ q.e. on $`K`$, and $`v`$ is constant q.e. on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Assume also that the differential form $`D_2vdx_1+D_1vdx_2`$ is exact in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. Then there exists a solution $`u`$ of (3.2) such that $`Ru=v`$ a.e. in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$.

Note that the assumption on the differential form is always satisfied if $`K\mathrm{\Omega }Ø`$, since, in this case, each connected component of $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ is simply connected (see the proof of Lemma 3.1).

###### Proof.

Since the differential form $`D_2vdx_1+D_1vdx_2`$ is exact in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, it follows that there exists a function $`uC^{\mathrm{}}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ such that $`Ru=v`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ and $`\mathrm{\Delta }u=0`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. As $`vL^2(\mathrm{\Omega }K;^2)`$, we have also $`uL^2(\mathrm{\Omega }K;^2)`$, hence $`uL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$. It remains to prove that $`u`$ is a solution of (3.2).

Let us prove that, if $`K`$ has more than one point and $`K`$ meets the closure $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ of a connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$, then $`v=0`$ q.e. on $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$. If this is not true, there exists a constant $`c0`$ such that $`v=c`$ q.e. on $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$. Let us fix $`xK\mathrm{\Gamma }`$. For almost every sufficiently small $`\rho >0`$ we have $`\mathrm{\Gamma }B_\rho (x)Ø`$ and $`KB_\rho (x)Ø`$, hence $`v`$ takes the values $`c`$ and $`0`$ in two distinct points of $`B_\rho (x)`$. This implies

$$_{B_\rho (x)}|v|^2𝑑^1\frac{c^2}{2\pi \rho },$$

which yields $`_\mathrm{\Omega }|v|^2𝑑x=+\mathrm{}`$, in contradiction with our hypothesis.

Therefore, if $`K`$ has more than one point, then $`v=0`$ q.e. on all connected components of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$ whose closure meets $`K`$. Since $`v`$ is constant q.e. on the other connected components of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$, we can apply \[23, Theorem 4.5\] to a suitable extension of $`v`$ and we can construct a sequence of functions $`v_nC^{\mathrm{}}(^2)`$, converging to $`v`$ in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$, such that each $`v_n`$ vanishes in a neighbourhood of $`K`$ and is constant in a neighbourhood of each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

Let $`zL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ with $`z=0`$ q.e. on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. As $`\mathrm{div}(Rv_n)=0`$ in $`^2`$ and $`Rv_n=0`$ near $`K_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$, we have

$$_{\mathrm{\Omega }K}Rv_nzdx=_{_D\mathrm{\Omega }K}Rv_nz\nu d^1=0.$$

Passing to the limit as $`n\mathrm{}`$, we obtain

$$_{\mathrm{\Omega }K}uzdx=_{\mathrm{\Omega }K}Rvzdx=0,$$

showing thus that $`u`$ is a solution of (3.2). ∎

## 4. CONVERGENCE OF MINIMIZERS

In this section we prove the convergence of the minimum points of problems (3.4) corresponding to a sequence $`(K_n)`$ of continua which converges in the Hausdorff metric to a continuum $`K`$ such that $`\mathrm{meas}(K_n)\mathrm{meas}(K)`$.

###### Theorem 4.1.

Let $`(g_n)`$ be a sequence in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ which converges to a function $`g`$ strongly in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$, and let $`(K_n)`$ be a sequence of continua in $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$ which converges to a continuum $`K`$ in the Hausdorff metric. Assume that $`\mathrm{meas}(K_n)\mathrm{meas}(K)`$. Let $`u_n`$ be a solution of the minimum problem

(4.1)
$$\underset{v𝒱(g_n,K_n)}{\mathrm{min}}_{\mathrm{\Omega }K_n}|v|^2𝑑x,$$

and let $`u`$ be a solution of the minimum problem

(4.2)
$$\underset{v𝒱(g,K)}{\mathrm{min}}_{\mathrm{\Omega }K}|v|^2𝑑x.$$

Then $`u_nu`$ strongly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$.

###### Proof.

Note that $`u`$ is a minimum point of (4.2) if and only if $`u`$ satisfies (3.2) and (3.3); analogously, $`u_n`$ is a minimum point of (4.1) if and only if $`u_n`$ satisfies (3.2) and (3.3) with $`K`$ and $`g`$ replaced by $`K_n`$ and $`g_n`$.

Taking $`u_ng_n`$ as test function in the equation satisfied by $`u_n`$, we prove that the sequence $`(u_n)`$ is bounded in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$. By Lemma 3.2, there exists a function $`u^{}L^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ such that, passing to a subsequence, $`u_nu^{}`$ weakly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$.

Let $`v_n`$ be the harmonic conjugate of $`u_n`$ given by Theorem 3.3. Then $`(v_n)`$ is bounded in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$, $`v_n=0`$ q.e. on $`K_n`$, and $`v_n`$ is constant q.e. on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

If $`K`$ has only one point, using Propositions 2.1 and 2.2, we obtain that $`v_nv`$ weakly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$ for some $`vH^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$, and by the Poincaré inequality there are constants $`c_n`$ such that $`v_nc_nv`$ weakly in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. This implies that $`v`$ is constant q.e. on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Moreover $`v=0`$ q.e. on $`K`$ since $`\mathrm{cap}(K)=0`$.

If $`K`$ has more than one point, we have $`lim\; inf_n\mathrm{diam}(K_n)>0`$; since the sets $`K_n`$ are connected, we obtain also $`lim\; inf_n\mathrm{cap}(K_n)=:\delta >0`$. As $`v_n=0`$ q.e. on $`K_n`$, using the Poincaré inequality (see, e.g., \[36, Corollary 4.5.3\]) it follows that $`(v_n)`$ is bounded in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. Hence there exists a function $`vH^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ such that $`v_nv`$ weakly in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. This implies that $`v`$ is constant on each connected component of $`_N\mathrm{\Omega }`$.

Let us fix an open ball $`B`$ containing $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$. Using the same extension operator we can construct extensions of $`v_n`$ and $`v`$, still denoted by $`v_n`$ and $`v`$, such that $`v_n,vH_0^1(B)`$, $`v_nv`$ weakly in $`H^1(B)`$.

Given an open set $`AB`$, any function $`zH_0^1(A)`$ will be extended to a function $`zH_0^1(B)`$ by setting $`z:=0`$ q.e. in $`\overline{B}A`$. By \[23, Theorem 4.5\] we have

(4.3)
$$H_0^1(A)=\{zH^1(B):z=0\text{q.e. on }\overline{B}A\}.$$

Since the complement of $`BK_n`$ has two connected components, from the results of  and  we deduce that, for every $`fL^2(B)`$, the solutions $`z_n`$ of the Dirichlet problems

$$z_nH_0^1(BK_n)\mathrm{\Delta }z_n=f\text{in }BK_n$$

converge strongly in $`H_0^1(B)`$ to the solution $`z`$ of the Dirichlet problem

$$zH_0^1(BK)\mathrm{\Delta }z=f\text{in }BK.$$

This implies (see, e.g., \[1, Theorem 3.33\]) that, in the space $`H_0^1(B)`$, the subspaces $`H_0^1(BK_n)`$ converge to the subspace $`H_0^1(BK)`$ in the sense of Mosco (see \[27, Definition 1.1\]).

Since $`v_nH_0^1(BK_n)`$ by (4.3), and $`v_nv`$ weakly in $`H^1(B)`$, from the convergence in the sense of Mosco we deduce that $`vH_0^1(BK)`$, hence $`v=0`$ q.e. on $`K`$ by (4.3).

As $`v_n`$ is harmonic in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K_n`$ and $`v_n=Ru_n`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K_n`$, we deduce that $`v`$ is harmonic in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ and $`v=Ru^{}`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. Let us consider a smooth closed curve $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. Since, for $`n`$ large enough, the functions $`v_n`$ are harmonic in the same neighbourhood of $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$, the weak convergence implies the uniform convergence of $`v_n`$ to $`v`$ in a neighbourhood of $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$. As $`v_n=Ru_n`$, the differential forms $`D_2v_ndx_1+D_1v_ndx_2`$ are exact, thus their integrals over $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ vanish. It follows that the integral over $`\mathrm{\Gamma }`$ of the differential form $`D_2vdx_1+D_1vdx_2`$ is zero. Then we can apply Theorem 3.4 and we obtain that the function $`u^{}`$ is a solution to problem (3.2).

We now construct a function $`wL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ such that $`w=u^{}`$ a.e. in $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ and $`w=g`$ q.e. on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. As in the proof of Theorem 3.3, we consider a connected component $`C`$ of $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ whose boundary meets $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, a point $`xC`$, and the corresponding sets $`N^\epsilon `$, $`C^\epsilon `$, and $`\mathrm{\Gamma }^\epsilon `$. Since $`K_nN^\epsilon `$ for $`n`$ large enough, we can apply Corollary 2.4 and deduce that there exists a function $`wL^{1,2}(C)`$ such that $`w=g`$ q.e. on $`C(_D\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ and, up to a subsequence, $`u_nw`$ weakly in $`L^2(C,^2)`$, which implies $`w=u^{}`$ a.e. in $`C`$.

In this way we construct $`w`$ on all connected components of $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$ whose boundary meets $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, and we define $`w:=u^{}`$ on the other connected components. It is clear that $`wL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$, $`w=u^{}`$ a.e. in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, $`w=g`$ q.e. on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K`$, hence $`w`$ is a solution to problem (3.2)-(3.3). By the uniqueness of the gradients of the solutions, we have $`u=w=u^{}`$ a.e. in $`\mathrm{\Omega }K`$. As the limit does not depend on the subsequence, the whole sequence $`(u_n)`$ converges to $`u`$ weakly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$.

Taking $`u_ng_n`$ and $`ug`$ as test functions in the equations satisfied by $`u_n`$ and $`u`$, we obtain

$$_\mathrm{\Omega }|u_n|^2𝑑x=_\mathrm{\Omega }u_ng_ndx,_\mathrm{\Omega }|u|^2𝑑x=_\mathrm{\Omega }ugdx.$$

As $`u_nu`$ weakly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega },^2)`$ and $`g_ng`$ strongly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega },^2)`$, from the previous equalities we obtain that $`u_n_{L^2(\mathrm{\Omega },^2)}`$ converges to $`u_{L^2(\mathrm{\Omega },^2)}`$, which implies the strong convergence of the gradients in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega },^2)`$. ∎

## 5. HAUSDORFF MEASURE AND HAUSDORFF CONVERGENCE

In this section we study the behaviour of the Hausdorff measure $`^1`$ along suitable sequences of continua which converge in the Hausdorff metric. It is well-known that, in general, the Hausdorff measure it is not lower semicontinuous with respect to the convergence in the Hausdorff metric. When all sets are connected, we have the following lower semicontinuity theorem, whose proof can be obtained as in Theorem 10.19 of .

###### Theorem 5.1 (Golab’s Theorem).

Let $`(K_n)`$ be a sequence of continua in $`^2`$ which converges to a continuum $`K`$ in the Hausdorff metric. Then

$$^1(KU)\underset{n\mathrm{}}{lim\; inf}^1(K_nU)$$

for every open set $`U^2`$.

###### Remark 5.2.

If $`C`$ is a connected subset of $`^2`$ with $`^1(C)<+\mathrm{}`$, then every point in $`C`$ has a fundamental system of compact connected neighbourhoods (see, e.g., \[12, Lemma 1\]). This implies that any two points $`x,yC`$ can be connected by a continuum contained in $`C`$. Hence $`C`$ is the union of an increasing sequence $`(K_n)`$ of continua. As $`K_n\overline{C}`$ in the Hausdorff metric, by Golab’s Theorem 5.1 we have $`^1(\overline{C})lim\; inf_n^1(K_n)^1(C)`$. Therefore $`^1(\overline{C})=^1(C)`$ for every connected subset $`C`$ of $`^2`$.

We shall use also the following consequence of Golab’s Theorem 5.1.

###### Corollary 5.3.

Let $`(H_n)`$ be a sequence of compact sets in $`^2`$ which converges to a compact set $`H`$ in the Hausdorff metric. Let $`(K_n)`$ be a sequence of continua which converges to a continuum $`K`$ in the Hausdorff metric. Assume that $`H_nK_n`$ for every $`n`$. Then

(5.1)
$$^1(KH)\underset{n\mathrm{}}{lim\; inf}^1(K_nH_n).$$

###### Proof.

Given $`\epsilon >0`$, let $`H^\epsilon :=\{x^2:\mathrm{dist}(x,H)\epsilon \}`$. As $`H_nH^\epsilon `$ for $`n`$ large enough, we have $`K_nH^\epsilon K_nH_n`$. Applying Theorem 5.1 with $`U=^2H^\epsilon `$ we get

$$^1(KH^\epsilon )\underset{n\mathrm{}}{lim\; inf}^1(K_nH^\epsilon )\underset{n\mathrm{}}{lim\; inf}^1(K_nH_n).$$

Passing to the limit as $`\epsilon 0`$ we obtain (5.1). ∎

In the next section we shall use the following result.

###### Lemma 5.4.

Let $`(H_n)`$ be a sequence of continua in $`^2`$ which converges in the Hausdorff metric to a continuum $`H`$ with $`^1(H)<+\mathrm{}`$, and let $`K`$ be a continuum in $`^2`$ with $`KH`$ and $`^1(K)<+\mathrm{}`$. Then there exists a sequence $`(K_n)`$ of continua such that $`K_nK`$ in the Hausdorff metric, $`H_nK_n`$, and $`^1(K_nH_n)^1(KH)`$.

###### Proof.

It is enough to prove the lemma when $`KHØ`$ and $`HØ`$. Since $`K`$ is separable and locally connected (see, e.g., \[12, Lemma 1\]), and $`KH`$ is open in $`K`$, the connected components of $`KH`$ are open in $`K`$ and form a finite or countable sequence $`(C_i)`$. Since each $`C_i`$ is closed in $`KH`$, we have $`C_i=\overline{C}_i(KH)`$. If $`C_i=\overline{C}_i`$, then $`K`$ would contain an open, closed, and non-empty proper subset, which contradicts the fact that $`K`$ is connected. Therefore $`C_i\overline{C}_i`$. As $`\overline{C}_i(KH)=C_i`$, we conclude that $`Ø\overline{C}_iC_iH`$. Therefore for every $`i`$ there exists a point $`x_i\overline{C}_iH`$. As $`H_nH`$ in the Hausdorff metric, there exists $`x_i^nH_n`$ such that $`x_i^nx_i`$. If there are infinitely many connected components $`C_i`$, there exists a sequence of integers $`(k_n)`$ tending to $`\mathrm{}`$ such that

(5.2)
$$\underset{n\mathrm{}}{lim}\underset{i=1}{\overset{k_n}{}}|x_i^nx_i|=0.$$

If there are $`k<+\mathrm{}`$ connected components $`C_i`$, (5.2) is true with $`k_n=k`$ for every $`n`$. Let $`S_i^n`$ denote the closed segment with end-points $`x_i^n`$ and $`x_i`$, and let

$$K_n:=H_n\underset{i=1}{\overset{k_n}{}}\overline{C}_i\underset{i=1}{\overset{k_n}{}}S_i^n.$$

Then the sets $`K_n`$ are continua, contain $`H_n`$, and converge to $`K`$ in the Hausdorff metric. As $`^1(C_i)=^1(\overline{C}_i)`$ (Remark 5.2), we have

$$^1(K_nH_n)\underset{i=1}{\overset{k_n}{}}^1(C_i)+\underset{i=1}{\overset{k_n}{}}|x_i^nx_i|,$$

which, together with (5.2), yields

(5.3)
$$\underset{n\mathrm{}}{lim\; sup}^1(K_nH_n)^1(KH).$$

The opposite inequality for the lower limit follows from Corollary 5.3. ∎

## 6. SOME DIFFERENTIABILITY PROPERTIES

For every compact set $`K`$ in $`^2`$ and every $`gL^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K)`$ we define

(6.1)
$$(g,K):=\underset{v𝒱(g,K)}{\mathrm{min}}\left\{_{\mathrm{\Omega }K}|v|^2𝑑x+^1(K)\right\},$$

where $`𝒱(g,K)`$ is the set introduced in (3.5).

Given a Hilbert space $`X`$, we recall that $`AC([0,1];X)`$ is the space of all absolutely continuous functions defined in $`[0,1]`$ with values in $`X`$. For the main properties of these functions we refer, e.g., to \[7, Appendix\]. Given $`gAC([0,1];X)`$, the time derivative of $`g`$, which exists a.e. in $`[0,1]`$, is denoted by $`\dot{g}`$. It is well-known that $`\dot{g}`$ is a Bochner integrable function with values in $`X`$.

Finally, let $`𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ be the set of all continua $`K`$ contained in $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$ with $`^1(K)<+\mathrm{}`$.

The main result of this section is the following theorem.

###### Theorem 6.1.

Let $`gAC([0,1];H^1(\mathrm{\Omega }))`$ and let $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ be an increasing function. Suppose that the function $`t(g(t),K(t))`$ is absolutely continuous on $`[0,1]`$. Then the following conditions are equivalent:

* $`{\displaystyle \frac{d}{ds}}(g(t),K(s))|s=t=0\text{ for a.e. }t[0,1],`$
* $`{\displaystyle \frac{d}{dt}}(g(t),K(t))=2(u(t)|\dot{g}(t))\text{ for a.e. }t[0,1]`$,

where $`u(t)`$ is a solution of the minimum problem (6.1) which defines $`(g(t),K(t))`$, and $`(|)`$ denotes the scalar product in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$.

To prove Theorem 6.1 we need the following lemmas.

###### Lemma 6.2.

Let $`K`$ be a compact subset of $`\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$ and let $`F:H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ be defined by $`F(g)=(g,K)`$ for every $`gH^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. Then $`F`$ is of class $`C^1`$ and for every $`g,hH^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ we have

(6.2)
$$dF(g)h=2_{\mathrm{\Omega }K}u_ghdx,$$

where $`u_g`$ is a solution of the minimum problem (6.1) which defines $`(g,K)`$.

###### Proof.

Since $`u_g`$ is a solution of problem (3.2) which satisfies the boundary condition (3.3), by linearity for every $`t`$ we have $`u_{g+th}=u_g+tu_h`$ a.e. in $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$, hence

$`F(g+th)F(g)={\displaystyle _{\mathrm{\Omega }K}}|u_g+tu_h|^2𝑑x{\displaystyle _{\mathrm{\Omega }K}}|u_g|^2𝑑x=`$
$`=2t{\displaystyle _{\mathrm{\Omega }K}}u_gu_hdx+t^2{\displaystyle _{\mathrm{\Omega }K}}|u_h|^2𝑑x=2t{\displaystyle _{\mathrm{\Omega }K}}u_ghdx+t^2{\displaystyle _{\mathrm{\Omega }K}}|u_h|^2𝑑x,`$
where the last equality is deduced from (3.2). Dividing by $`t`$ and letting $`t`$ tend to $`0`$ we obtain (6.2). The continuity of $`gu_g`$ implies that $`F`$ is of class $`C^1`$. ∎

Let us consider now the case of time dependent continua $`K(t)`$.

###### Lemma 6.3.

Let $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ be a function and let $`F:H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })\times [0,1]`$ be defined by $`F(g,t)=(g,K(t))`$. Then the differential $`d_1F`$ of $`F`$ with respect to $`g`$ is continuous at every point $`(g,t)H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })\times [0,1]`$ such that $`K(s)K(t)`$ in the Hausdorff metric as $`st`$.

###### Proof.

It is enough to apply Lemma 6.2 and Theorem 4.1. ∎

In the following lemma we find a set of points $`t`$ satisfying the condition considered above.

###### Lemma 6.4.

Let $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ be an increasing function and let $`t_0`$ be a continuity point of the function $`t^1(K(t))`$. Then $`K(t)K(t_0)`$ in the Hausdorff metric as $`tt_0`$, unless $`_{t<t_0}K(t)=Ø_{t>t_0}K(t)`$.

###### Proof.

It is enough to show that $`K(t_n)K(t_0)`$ in the Hausdorff metric for every monotone sequence $`t_nt_0`$. Let us consider an increasing sequence $`t_nt_0`$, and let $`K^{}`$ be the closure of the union of the sets $`K(t_n)`$. Then $`K^{}`$ is a continuum contained in $`K(t_0)`$ and $`K(t_n)K^{}`$ in the Hausdorff metric. By the continuity of the function $`t^1(K(t))`$ and by Remark 5.2 we have $`^1(K^{})=^1(K(t_0))`$, which implies $`K^{}=K(t_0)`$ (see Remark 2.6).

Let us consider now a decreasing sequence $`t_nt_0`$, and let $`K^+`$ be the intersection of the sets $`K(t_n)`$. Then $`K^+`$ is a continuum containing $`K(t_0)`$ and $`K(t_n)K^+`$ in the Hausdorff metric. The conclusion can be obtained as in the previous case. ∎

To deal with the dependence on $`t`$ of both arguments we need the following result.

###### Lemma 6.5.

Let $`X`$ be a Hilbert space, let $`gAC([0,1];X)`$, and let $`F:X\times [0,1]`$ be a function such that $`F(,t)C^1(X)`$ for every $`t[0,1]`$, with differential denoted by $`d_1F(,t)`$. Let $`t_0[0,1]`$, let $`\psi (t):=F(g(t),t)`$, and let $`\psi _0(t):=F(g(t_0),t)`$. Assume that $`t_0`$ is a differentiability point of $`\psi `$ and $`g`$ and a Lebesgue point of $`\dot{g}`$, and that $`d_1F`$ is continuous at $`(g(t_0),t_0)`$. Then $`\psi _0`$ is differentiable at $`t_0`$ and

$$\dot{\psi }_0(t_0)=\dot{\psi }(t_0)d_1F(g(t_0),t_0)\dot{g}(t_0).$$

###### Proof.

For every $`t[0,1]`$ we have

$`\psi _0(t)\psi _0(t_0)=`$ $`F(g(t_0),t)F(g(t),t)+\psi (t)\psi (t_0)=`$
$`=`$ $`{\displaystyle _t^{t_0}}d_1F(g(s),t)\dot{g}(s)𝑑s+\psi (t)\psi (t_0).`$
The conclusion follows dividing by $`tt_0`$ and taking the limit as $`tt_0`$. ∎

###### Proof of Theorem 6.1..

Let $`F:H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })\times [0,1]`$ be defined by $`F(g,t)=(g,K(t))`$. By Lemmas 6.3 and 6.4 $`d_1F`$ is continuous in $`(g,t)`$ for a.e. $`t[0,1]`$ and every $`gH^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. By Lemmas 6.2 and 6.5

(6.3)
$$\frac{d}{ds}(g(t),K(s))|s=t=\frac{d}{dt}(g(t),K(t))2(u(t)|\dot{g}(t))\text{ for a.e. }t[0,1].$$

The equivalence between (a) and (b) is now obvious. ∎

## 7. IRREVERSIBLE QUASI-STATIC EVOLUTION

In this section we prove the main result of the paper.

###### Theorem 7.1.

Let $`gAC([0,1];H^1(\mathrm{\Omega }))`$ and let $`K_0𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$. Then there exists a function $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ such that

* $`K_0K(s)K(t)`$ for $`0st1`$,
* $`(g(0),K(0))(g(0),K)K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}),KK_0`$,
* $`\text{for }\mathrm{\hspace{0.17em}0}t1(g(t),K(t))(g(t),K)K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}),KK(t)`$,
* $`t(g(t),K(t))\text{ is absolutely continuous on }[0,1]`$,
* $`{\displaystyle \frac{d}{ds}}(g(t),K(s))|s=t=0\text{for a.e. }t[0,1]`$.

Moreover every function $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ which satisfies (a)–(e) satisfies also

* $`{\displaystyle \frac{d}{dt}}(g(t),K(t))=2(u(t)|\dot{g}(t))\text{ for a.e. }t[0,1]`$,

where $`u(t)`$ is a solution of the minimum problem (6.1) which defines $`(g(t),K(t))`$.

Here and in the rest of the section $`(|)`$ and $``$ denote the scalar product and the norm in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$.

Theorem 7.1 will be proved by a time discretization process. Given $`\delta >0`$, let $`N_\delta `$ be the largest integer such that $`\delta N_\delta 1`$; for $`i0`$ let $`t_i^\delta :=i\delta `$ and, for $`0iN_\delta `$, let $`g_i^\delta :=g(t_i^\delta )`$. We define $`K_i^\delta `$, inductively, as a solution of the minimum problem

(7.1)
$$\underset{K}{\mathrm{min}}\left\{(g_i^\delta ,K):K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}),KK_{i1}^\delta \right\},$$

where we set $`K_1^\delta :=K_0`$.

###### Lemma 7.2.

There exists a solution of the minimum problem (7.1).

###### Proof.

Consider a minimizing sequence $`(K_n)`$. By the Compactness Theorem 2.5, passing to a subsequence, we may assume that $`(K_n)`$ converges in the Hausdorff metric to some continuum $`K`$ containing $`K_{i1}^\delta `$. For every $`n`$ let $`u_n`$ be a solution of the minimum problem (6.1) which defines $`(g_i^\delta ,K_n)`$. By Theorem 4.1 we conclude that $`(u_n)`$ converges strongly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$ to $`u`$ where $`u`$ is a solution of the minimum problem (6.1) which defines $`(g_i^\delta ,K)`$. By Golab’s Theorem 5.1 we have $`^1(K)lim\; inf_n^1(K_n)`$. As $`u=lim_nu_n`$, we conclude that $`(g_i^\delta ,K)lim\; inf_n(g_i^\delta ,K_n)`$. Since $`(K_n)`$ is a minimizing sequence, this proves that $`K`$ is a solution of the minimum problem (7.1). ∎

We define now the step functions $`g_\delta `$, $`K_\delta `$, and $`u_\delta `$ on $`[0,1]`$ by setting $`g_\delta (t):=g_i^\delta `$, $`K_\delta (t):=K_i^\delta `$, and $`u_\delta (t):=u_i^\delta `$ for $`t_i^\delta t<t_{i+1}^\delta `$, where $`u_i^\delta `$ is a solution of the minimum problem (6.1) which defines $`(g_i^\delta ,K_i^\delta )`$.

###### Lemma 7.3.

There exists a positive function $`\rho (\delta )`$, converging to zero as $`\delta 0`$, such that

(7.2)
$$u_j^\delta ^2+^1(K_j^\delta )u_i^\delta ^2+^1(K_i^\delta )+2_{t_i^\delta }^{t_j^\delta }(u^\delta (t)|\dot{g}(t))𝑑t+\rho (\delta )$$

for $`0i<jN_\delta `$.

###### Proof.

Let us fix an integer $`r`$ with $`ir<j`$. From the absolute continuity of $`g`$ we have

$$g_{r+1}^\delta g_r^\delta =_{t_r^\delta }^{t_{r+1}^\delta }\dot{g}(t)𝑑t,$$

where the integral is a Bochner integral for functions with values in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. This implies that

(7.3)
$$g_{r+1}^\delta g_r^\delta =_{t_r^\delta }^{t_{r+1}^\delta }\dot{g}(t)𝑑t,$$

where the integral is a Bochner integral for functions with values in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$.

As $`u_r^\delta +g_{r+1}^\delta g_r^\delta L^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K_{r+1}^\delta )`$ and $`u_r^\delta +g_{r+1}^\delta g_r^\delta =g_{r+1}^\delta `$ q.e. on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K_r^\delta _D\mathrm{\Omega }K_{r+1}^\delta `$, from the minimality of $`u_{r+1}^\delta `$ we obtain, using (7.3),

$`u_{r+1}^\delta ^2+^1(K_{r+1}^\delta )u_r^\delta +g_{r+1}^\delta g_r^\delta ^2+^1(K_r^\delta )`$
$`u_r^\delta ^2+^1(K_r^\delta )+2{\displaystyle _{t_r^\delta }^{t_{r+1}^\delta }}(u_r^\delta |\dot{g}(t))𝑑t+\left({\displaystyle _{t_r^\delta }^{t_{r+1}^\delta }}\dot{g}(t)𝑑t\right)^2`$
$`u_r^\delta ^2+^1(K_r^\delta )+2{\displaystyle _{t_r^\delta }^{t_{r+1}^\delta }}(u_\delta (t)|\dot{g}(t))𝑑t+\sigma (\delta ){\displaystyle _{t_r^\delta }^{t_{r+1}^\delta }}\dot{g}(t)𝑑t,`$
where

$$\sigma (\delta ):=\underset{ir<j}{\mathrm{max}}_{t_r^\delta }^{t_{r+1}^\delta }\dot{g}(t)𝑑t.$$

Iterating now this inequality for $`ir<j`$ we get (7.2) with $`\rho (\delta ):=\sigma (\delta )_0^1\dot{g}(t)𝑑t`$. ∎

###### Lemma 7.4.

There exists a constant $`C`$, depending only on $`g`$ and $`K_0`$, such that

(7.4)
$$u_i^\delta C\text{and}^1(K_i^\delta )C$$

for every $`\delta >0`$ and for every $`0iN_\delta `$.

###### Proof.

As $`g_i^\delta `$ is admissible for the problem (6.1) which defines $`(g_i^\delta ,K_i^\delta )`$, by the minimality of $`u_i^\delta `$ we have $`u_i^\delta g_i^\delta `$, hence $`u_\delta (t)g_\delta (t)`$ for every $`t[0,1]`$. As $`tg(t)`$ is absolutely continuous with values in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$ the function $`t\dot{g}(t)`$ is integrable on $`[0,1]`$ and there exists a constant $`C>0`$ such that $`g(t)C`$ for every $`t[0,1]`$. This implies the former inequality in (7.4). The latter inequality follows now from Lemma 7.3. ∎

Let $`S_\delta `$ be the continuum in $`^3`$ defined by

$$S_\delta :=\underset{0t1}{}(\{t\}\times K_\delta (t))=\underset{i=0}{\overset{N_\delta }{}}([t_i^\delta ,\tau _{i+1}^\delta ]\times K_i^\delta ),$$

where $`\tau _i^\delta :=t_i^\delta `$ for $`0iN_\delta `$ and $`\tau _i^\delta :=1`$ for $`i=N_\delta +1`$. By the Compactness Theorem 2.5 there exists a continuum $`S[0,1]\times \overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$ such that $`S_\delta S`$ in the Hausdorff metric as $`\delta 0`$ along a suitable sequence. For every $`t[0,1]`$ we define

(7.5)
$$K^+(t):=\{x^2:(t,x)S\}.$$

As $`K_\delta (t)`$ is increasing with respect to $`t`$, the same is true for $`K^+(t)`$. For $`0<t1`$ we define

(7.6)
$$K^{}(t):=\mathrm{cl}\left(_{s<t}K^+(s)\right),$$

where $`\mathrm{cl}`$ denotes the closure. By the monotonicity of $`K^+(t)`$ and $`K^{}(t)`$, there is at most one point $`t_0(0,1]`$ such that $`K^{}(t_0)=Ø`$ and $`K^+(t_0)Ø`$. Let $`\mathrm{\Theta }`$ be the set of points $`t(0,1)`$ such that $`K^{}(t)=K^+(t)`$, and let $`\mathrm{\Theta }^{}`$ be the set of continuity points in $`(0,1)`$ of the function $`t^1(K^+(t))`$.

For the reader’s convenience we give here the complete proof of the following result, which was originally proved in \[13, Proposition 4\].

###### Lemma 7.5.

For every $`t[0,1]`$ the set $`K^+(t)`$ is a continuum and $`K^+(t)=_{s>t}K^+(s)`$ for $`0t<1`$. For every $`t\mathrm{\Theta }`$ the sequence $`K_\delta (t)`$ converges to $`K^+(t)`$ in the Hausdorff metric as $`\delta 0`$ along the same sequence considered for $`S_\delta `$. Moreover $`[0,1]\mathrm{\Theta }`$ is at most countable and $`\mathrm{\Theta }=\mathrm{\Theta }^{}\{t_0\}`$.

###### Proof.

By construction $`K^+(t)`$ is compact. To prove that it is connected, let $`x,yK^+(t)`$. Then $`(t,x),(t,y)S`$ and, since $`S`$ is the limit of $`S_\delta `$ in the Hausdorff metric as $`\delta 0`$ along a suitable sequence, there exist sequences $`(s_\delta ,x_\delta )`$, $`(t_\delta ,y_\delta )S_\delta `$ converging to $`(t,x)`$ and $`(t,y)`$, respectively. By the monotonicity of $`sK_\delta (s)`$, we may assume that $`s_\delta =t_\delta `$, so that $`x_\delta `$ and $`y_\delta `$ belong to the same continuum $`K_\delta (t_\delta )`$. Passing to a subsequence, we may assume that $`K_\delta (t_\delta )`$ converges in the Hausdorff metric to some continuum $`K`$. Then $`\{t_\delta \}\times K_\delta (t_\delta )`$ converges to $`\{t\}\times K`$, which implies that $`\{t\}\times KS`$, so that $`KK^+(t)`$. As $`x`$ and $`y`$ are connected in $`K^+(t)`$ by the set $`K`$, it follows that $`K^+(t)`$ is connected.

The monotonicity of $`sK^+(s)`$ implies that $`K^+(t)_{s>t}K^+(s)`$ for $`0t<1`$. To prove the reverse inclusion, let now $`x_{s>t}K^+(s)`$ and $`t_nt`$. Then $`(t_n,x)S`$ and, as $`S`$ is closed, $`(t,x)S`$, which implies that $`xK^+(t)`$.

Let us fix $`t\mathrm{\Theta }`$. To prove that $`K_\delta (t)`$ converges to $`K^+(t)`$, by the Compactness Theorem 2.5 we may assume that $`K_\delta (t)`$ converges in the Hausdorff metric to some compact set $`K`$ as $`\delta 0`$ along a suitable subsequence of the sequence considered for $`S_\delta `$, and we have only to prove that $`K^{}(t)KK^+(t)`$.

Let us prove the first inclusion. As $`K`$ is closed, it is enough to show that $`_{s<t}K^+(s)K`$. Let $`x_{s<t}K^+(s)`$. Then there exists $`s<t`$ such that $`(s,x)S`$. As $`S_\delta S`$ in the Hausdorff metric, there exists a sequence $`(s_\delta ,x_\delta )(s,x)`$ such that $`(s_\delta ,x_\delta )S_\delta `$, and hence $`x_\delta K_\delta (s_\delta )`$. As $`s_\delta <t`$ for $`\delta `$ small enough, by the monotonicity of $`sK_\delta (s)`$, we have $`x_\delta K_\delta (t)`$. Since $`x_\delta x`$ we conclude that $`xK`$.

Let us prove that $`KK^+(t)`$. Let $`xK`$. By the definition of $`K`$ there exist $`x_\delta K_\delta (t)`$ such that $`x_\delta x`$. Then $`(t,x_\delta )S_\delta `$ and $`(t,x_\delta )(t,x)`$. This implies $`(t,x)S`$, hence $`xK^+(t)`$.

It is easy to see that for $`0<t<1`$

$`\underset{st+}{lim}^1(K^+(s))=^1(K^+(t)),`$
$`\underset{st}{lim}^1(K^+(s))=^1(_{s<t}K^+(s))=^1(K^{}(t)),`$
where the last equality follows from Remark 5.2. This implies that $`t\mathrm{\Theta }^{}`$ if and only if $`^1(K^+(t)K^{}(t))=0`$. The equality $`\mathrm{\Theta }=\mathrm{\Theta }^{}\{t_0\}`$ follows now from Remark 2.6. The statement about $`[0,1]\mathrm{\Theta }`$ is a consequence of this equality and of the continuity properties of monotone functions. ∎

Since $`[0,1]\mathrm{\Theta }`$ is at most countable, by a diagonal argument we may extract a subsequence of the sequence considered for $`S_\delta `$ such that, for every $`t[0,1]\mathrm{\Theta }`$, $`K_\delta (t)`$ converge to a continuum $`K(t)`$ in the Hausdorff metric as $`\delta 0`$ along this subsequence. In the rest of this section we shall always refer to this subsequence when we write $`\delta 0`$. Let us define $`K(t):=K^+(t)`$ for all $`t\mathrm{\Theta }`$. By the previous discussion and by Lemma 7.5 for every $`t[0,1]`$ we have $`K_\delta (t)K(t)`$ in the Hausdorff metric as $`\delta 0`$, hence $`K(t)`$ is a continuum. By Lemma 7.4 there exist a constant $`C`$ such that $`^1(K_\delta (t))C`$ for every $`t`$. By Golab’s Theorem 5.1 we have $`^1(K(t))C`$. This shows that $`K(t)𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ for every $`t[0,1]`$.

Since $`K_0K_\delta ^0=K_\delta (0)`$, we have that $`K_0K(0)`$. Since $`K_\delta (t)`$ is increasing with respect to $`t`$, the same property holds for $`K(t)`$. This shows that $`K(t)`$ satisfies condition (a) of Theorem 7.1.

Moreover it is easy to see that

(7.7) $`K^+(t)=_{s>t}K(s)\text{for }0t<1,`$
(7.8) $`K^{}(t)=\mathrm{cl}\left(_{s<t}K(s)\right)\text{for }0<t1,`$
(7.9) $`K^{}(t)K(t)K^+(t)\text{for }0<t<1.`$
Indeed, (7.7) and (7.8) follow from (7.9), which has been proved in the previous discussion.

For every $`t[0,1]`$ let $`u(t)`$ be a solution of the minimum problem (6.1) which defines $`(g(t),K(t))`$.

###### Lemma 7.6.

For every $`t[0,1]`$ we have $`u_\delta (t)u(t)`$ strongly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$.

###### Proof.

As $`u_\delta (t)`$ is a solution of the minimum problem (6.1) which defines $`(g_\delta (t),K_\delta (t))`$, and $`g_\delta (t)g(t)`$ strongly in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$, the conclusion follows from Theorem 4.1. ∎

###### Lemma 7.7.

For every $`t[0,1]`$ we have

(7.10)
$$(g(t),K(t))(g(t),K)K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})KK(t).$$

Moreover

(7.11)
$$(g(0),K(0))(g(0),K)K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})KK_0.$$

###### Proof.

Let us fix $`t[0,1]`$ and $`K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ with $`KK(t)`$. Since $`K_\delta (t)`$ converges to $`K(t)`$ in the Hausdorff metric as $`\delta 0`$, by Lemma 5.4 there exists a sequence of continua $`(K_\delta )`$, converging to $`K`$ in the Hausdorff metric, such that $`K_\delta K_\delta (t)`$ and $`^1(K_\delta K_\delta (t))^1(KK(t))`$ as $`\delta 0`$.

Let $`v_\delta `$ and $`v`$ be solutions of the minimum problems (6.1) which define $`(g_\delta (t),K_\delta )`$ and $`(g(t),K)`$, respectively. By Theorem 4.1 $`v_\delta v`$ strongly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega };^2)`$. The minimality of $`K_\delta (t)`$ expressed by (7.1) gives $`(g_\delta (t),K_\delta (t))(g_\delta (t),K_\delta )`$, which implies $`u_\delta (t)^2v_\delta ^2+^1(K_\delta K_\delta (t))`$. Passing to the limit as $`\delta 0`$ and using Lemma 7.6 we get $`u(t)^2v^2+^1(KK(t))`$. Adding $`^1(K(t))`$ to both sides we obtain (7.10).

A similar proof holds for (7.11). The only difference is that now we take $`K_\delta =K`$ and use the fact that $`(g_\delta (0),K_\delta (0))(g_\delta (0),K)=(g(0),K)`$, which implies $`u_\delta (0)^2+^1(K_\delta (0))v^2+^1(K)`$. Passing to the limit as $`\delta 0`$ and using Lemma 7.6 and Golab’s Theorem 5.1 we obtain (7.11). ∎

The previous lemma proves conditions (b) and (c) of Theorem 7.1. To show that conditions (d) and (e) are also satisfied, we begin by proving the following inequality.

###### Lemma 7.8.

For every $`s,t`$ with $`0s<t1`$

(7.12)
$$u(t)^2+^1(K(t))u(s)^2+^1(K(s))+2_s^t(u(\tau )|\dot{g}(\tau ))𝑑\tau .$$

###### Proof.

Let us fix $`s,t`$ with $`0s<t1`$. Given $`\delta >0`$ let $`i`$ and $`j`$ be the integers such that $`t_i^\delta s<t_{i+1}^\delta `$ and $`t_j^\delta t<t_{j+1}^\delta `$. Let us define $`s_\delta :=t_i^\delta `$ and $`t_\delta :=t_j^\delta `$. Applying Lemma 7.3 we obtain

(7.13)
$$u_\delta (t)^2+^1(K_\delta (t)K_\delta (s))u_\delta (s)^2+2_{s_\delta }^{t_\delta }(u^\delta (\tau )|\dot{g}(\tau ))𝑑\tau +\rho (\delta ),$$

with $`\rho (\delta )`$ converging to zero as $`\delta 0`$.

Since $`K_\delta (\tau )`$ converges to $`K(\tau )`$ in the Hausdorff metric, by Lemma 7.6 for every $`\tau [0,1]`$ we have $`u_\delta (\tau )u(\tau )`$ strongly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega },^2)`$ as $`\delta 0`$. By Corollary 5.3 we get

$$^1(K(t)K(s))\underset{\delta 0}{lim\; inf}^1(K_\delta (t)K_\delta (s)).$$

Passing now to the limit in (7.13) as $`\delta 0`$ we obtain (7.12). ∎

The following lemma concludes the proof of Theorem 7.1, showing that also conditions (d), (e) and (f) are satisfied.

###### Lemma 7.9.

The function $`t(g(t),K(t))`$ is absolutely continuous on $`[0,1]`$ and

(7.14)
$$\frac{d}{dt}(g(t),K(t))=2(u(t)|\dot{g}(t))\text{ for a.e. }t[0,1].$$

Moreover

(7.15)
$$\frac{d}{ds}(g(t),K(s))|s=t=0\text{ for a.e. }t[0,1].$$

###### Proof.

Let $`0s<t1`$. From the previous lemma we get

(7.16)
$$(g(t),K(t))(g(s),K(s))2_s^t(u(\tau )|\dot{g}(\tau ))𝑑\tau .$$

On the other hand, by condition (c) of Theorem 7.1 we have $`(g(s),K(s))(g(s),K(t))`$, and by Lemma 6.2

$$(g(t),K(t))(g(s),K(t))=2_s^t(u(\tau ,t)|\dot{g}(\tau ))𝑑\tau ,$$

where $`u(\tau ,t)`$ is a solution of the minimum problem (6.1) which defines $`(g(\tau ),K(t))`$. Therefore

(7.17)
$$(g(t),K(t))(g(s),K(s))2_s^t(u(\tau ,t)|\dot{g}(\tau ))𝑑\tau .$$

Since there exists a constant $`C`$ such that $`u(\tau )g(\tau )C`$ and $`u(\tau ,t)g(\tau )C`$ for $`s\tau t`$, from (7.16) and (7.17) we obtain

$$\left|(g(t),K(t))(g(s),K(s))\right|2C_s^t\dot{g}(\tau )𝑑\tau ,$$

which proves that the function $`t(g(t),K(t))`$ is absolutely continuous.

As $`u(\tau ,t)u(t)`$ strongly in $`L^2(\mathrm{\Omega },^2)`$ when $`\tau t`$, if we divide (7.16) and (7.17) by $`ts`$, and take the limit as $`st`$ we obtain (7.14). Equality (7.15) follows from Theorem 6.1. ∎

Theorem 1.1 is a consequence of Theorem 7.1 and of the following lemma.

###### Lemma 7.10.

Let $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ be a function which satisfies conditions (a)–(e) of Theorem 7.1. Then, for $`0<t1`$,

(7.18)
$$(g(t),K(t))(g(t),K)K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})K_{s<t}K(s).$$

###### Proof.

Let us fix $`t`$, with $`0<t1`$, and a continuum $`K_{s<t}K(s)`$. For $`0s<t`$ we have $`KK(s)`$, and from condition (c) of Theorem 7.1 we obtain $`(g(s),K(s))(g(s),K)`$. As the functions $`s(g(s),K(s))`$ and $`s(g(s),K)`$ are continuous, passing to the limit as $`st`$ we get (7.18). ∎

The following lemma shows that $`K(t)`$, $`K^{}(t)`$, and $`K^+(t)`$ have the same total energy.

###### Lemma 7.11.

Let $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ be a function which satisfies conditions (a)–(e) of Theorem 7.1, and let $`K^{}(t)`$ and $`K^+(t)`$ be defined by (7.8) and (7.7). Then

(7.19) $`(g(t),K(t))=(g(t),K^{}(t))\text{for }0<t1,`$
(7.20) $`(g(t),K(t))=(g(t),K^+(t))\text{for }0t<1.`$
###### Proof.

Let $`0<t1`$. Since $`K(s)K^{}(t)`$ in the Hausdorff metric as $`st`$, and $`^1(K(s))^1(K^{}(t))`$ by Remark 5.2, it follows that $`(g(s),K(s))(g(t),K^{}(t))`$ as $`st`$ by Theorem 4.1. As the function $`s(g(s),K(s))`$ is continuous, we obtain (7.19). The proof of (7.20) is analogous. ∎

###### Remark 7.12.

From Lemmas 7.10 and 7.11 it follows that, if $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ is a function which satisfies conditions (a)–(e) of Theorem 7.1, the same is true for the functions

$$t\{\begin{array}{cc}K(0)\hfill & \text{for }t=0,\hfill \\ K^{}(t)\hfill & \text{for }0<t1,\hfill \end{array}t\{\begin{array}{cc}K^+(t)\hfill & \text{for }0t<1,\hfill \\ K(1)\hfill & \text{for }t=1,\hfill \end{array}$$

where $`K^{}(t)`$ and $`K^+(t)`$ are defined by (7.8) and (7.7). Therefore the problem has a left-continuous solution and a right-continuous solution.

###### Remark 7.13.

In Theorem 7.1 suppose that $`(g(0),K_0)(g(0),K)`$ for every $`K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ with $`KK_0`$. Then in our time discretization process we can take $`K_0^\delta =K_0`$ for every $`\delta >0`$. Therefore there exists a function $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$, satisfying conditions (a)–(e) of Theorem 7.1, such that $`K(0)=K_0`$. In particular this happens for every $`K_0`$ whenever $`g(0)=0`$.

If $`(g(0),K_0)<(g(0),K)`$ for every $`K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ with $`KK_0`$ and $`KK_0`$, then every function $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$, which satisfies conditions (a)–(e) of Theorem 7.1, satisfies also $`K(0)=K_0`$ by (b). This always happens when $`g(0)=0`$ and $`K_0Ø`$.

In the case $`g(0)=0`$ and $`K_0=Ø`$, by condition (b) we must have $`^1(K(0))=0`$, hence $`K(0)`$ has at most one element. Besides the solution with $`K(0)=Ø`$, considered in the first part of this remark, for every $`x_0\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}`$ there exists a solution with $`K(0)=\{x_0\}`$. Indeed in our time discretization process we can take $`K_0^\delta =\{x_0\}`$ for every $`\delta >0`$.

We consider now the case where $`g(t)`$ is proportional to a fixed function $`hH^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$.

###### Proposition 7.14.

In Theorem 7.1 suppose that $`g(t)=\phi (t)h`$, where $`\phi AC([0,1])`$ is non-decreasing and non-negative, and $`h`$ is a fixed function in $`H^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$. Let $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ be a function which satisfies conditions (a)–(e) of Theorem 7.1. Then

(7.21)
$$(g(t),K(t))(g(t),K(s))$$

for $`0s<t1`$.

###### Proof.

Let us fix $`0s<t1`$. For every $`\tau [0,1]`$ let $`v(\tau )`$ be a solution of the minimum problem (6.1) which defines $`(h,K(\tau ))`$. As $`u(\tau )=\phi (\tau )v(\tau )`$ and $`\dot{g}(\tau )=\dot{\phi }(\tau )h`$, from condition (f) we obtain, adding and subtracting $`(g(s),K(s))`$,

$`(g(t),K(t))(g(t),K(s))=`$
$`=2{\displaystyle _s^t}(v(\tau )|h)\phi (\tau )\dot{\phi }(\tau )𝑑\tau +(\phi (s)^2\phi (t)^2)v(s)^2.`$
As $`v(\tau )`$ is a solution of problem (3.2) with $`K=K(\tau )`$, and $`v(\tau )=h`$ q.e. on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K(\tau )`$, we have $`(v(\tau )|h)=v(\tau )^2`$. By the monotonicity of $`\tau K(\tau )`$, for $`s\tau t`$ we have $`v(s)L^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }K(\tau ))`$ and $`v(s)=h`$ q.e. on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }K(\tau )`$. By the minimum property of $`v(\tau )`$ we obtain $`v(\tau )^2v(s)^2`$ for $`s\tau t`$. Therefore

$`(g(t),K(t))(g(t),K(s))`$
$`2{\displaystyle _s^t}\phi (\tau )\dot{\phi }(\tau )𝑑\tau v(s)^2+(\phi (s)^2\phi (t)^2)v(s)^2=0,`$
which concludes the proof. ∎

## 8. BEHAVIOUR NEAR THE TIPS

In this section we consider a function $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ which satisfies conditions (a)–(e) of Theorem 7.1 for a suitable $`gAC([0,1];H^1(\mathrm{\Omega }))`$, and we study the behaviour of the solutions $`u(t)`$ near the “tips” of the sets $`K(t)`$. Under some natural assumptions, we shall see that $`K(t)`$ satisfies Griffith’s criterion for crack growth.

For every bounded open set $`A^2`$ with Lipschitz boundary, for every compact set $`K^2`$, and for every function $`g:AK`$ we define

(8.1)
$$(g,K,A):=\underset{v𝒱(g,K,A)}{\mathrm{min}}\left\{_{AK}|v|^2𝑑x+^1(K\overline{A})\right\},$$

where

$$𝒱(g,K,A):=\{vL^{1,2}(AK):v=g\text{q.e. on }AK\}.$$

We now consider in particular the case where $`K`$ is a regular arc, and summarize some known results on the behaviour of a solution of problem (3.2) near the end-points of $`K`$. Let $`B`$ be an open ball in $`^2`$ and let $`\gamma :[\sigma _0,\sigma _1]^2`$ be a simple path of class $`C^2`$ parametrized by arc length. Assume that $`\gamma (\sigma _0)B`$ and $`\gamma (\sigma _1)B`$, while $`\gamma (\sigma )B`$ for $`\sigma _0<\sigma <\sigma _1`$. Assume in addition that $`\gamma `$ is not tangent to $`B`$ at $`\sigma _0`$ and $`\sigma _1`$. For every $`\sigma [\sigma _0,\sigma _1]`$ let $`\mathrm{\Gamma }(\sigma ):=\{\gamma (s):\sigma _0s\sigma \}`$.

###### Theorem 8.1.

Let $`\sigma _0<\sigma <\sigma _1`$ and let $`u`$ be a solution to problem (3.2) with $`\mathrm{\Omega }=B`$, $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }=B`$, and $`K=\mathrm{\Gamma }(\sigma )`$. Then there exists a unique constant $`\kappa =\kappa (u,\sigma )`$ such that

(8.2)
$$u\kappa \sqrt{2\rho /\pi }\mathrm{sin}(\theta /2)H^2(B\mathrm{\Gamma }(\sigma ))H^{1,\mathrm{}}(B\mathrm{\Gamma }(\sigma )),$$

where $`\rho (x)=|x\gamma (\sigma )|`$ and $`\theta (x)`$ is the continuous function on $`B\mathrm{\Gamma }(\sigma )`$ which coincides with the oriented angle between $`\dot{\gamma }(\sigma )`$ and $`x\gamma (\sigma )`$, and vanishes on the points of the form $`x=\gamma (\sigma )+\epsilon \dot{\gamma }(\sigma )`$ for sufficiently small $`\epsilon >0`$.

###### Proof.

Let $`B^{}`$ and $`B^+`$ be the connected components of $`B\mathrm{\Gamma }(\sigma _1)`$. Since $`B^{}`$ and $`B^+`$ have a Lipschitz boundary, by Proposition 2.2 $`u`$ belongs to $`H^1(B^{})`$ and $`H^1(B^+)`$. This implies that $`uL^2(B)`$, and hence $`uH^1(B\mathrm{\Gamma }(\sigma ))`$. The conclusion follows now from \[21, Theorem 4.4.3.7 and Section 5.2\], as shown in \[28, Appendix1\]. ∎

###### Remark 8.2.

If $`u`$ is interpreted as the third component of the displacement in an anti-plane shear, as we did in the introduction, then $`\kappa `$ coincides with the Mode III stress intensity factor $`K_{III}`$ of the displacement $`(0,0,u)`$.

###### Theorem 8.3.

Let $`g:B\{\gamma (\sigma _0)\}`$ be a function such that for every $`\sigma _0<\sigma <\sigma _1`$ there exists $`g(\sigma )L^{1,2}(B\mathrm{\Gamma }(\sigma ))`$ with $`g(\sigma )=g`$ q.e. on $`B\mathrm{\Gamma }(\sigma )=B\{\gamma (\sigma _0)\}`$. Let $`v(\sigma )`$ be a solution of the minimum problem (8.1) which defines $`(g,\mathrm{\Gamma }(\sigma ),B)`$. Then, for every $`\sigma _0<\sigma <\sigma _1`$,

$$\frac{d}{d\sigma }(g,\mathrm{\Gamma }(\sigma ),B)=1\kappa (v(\sigma ),\sigma )^2,$$

where $`\kappa `$ is defined by (8.2).

###### Proof.

It is enough to adapt the proof of \[22, Theorem 6.4.1\]. ∎

Let us return to the function $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ considered at the beginning of the section, and let $`0t_0<t_11`$. Suppose that the following structure condition is satisfied: there exist a finite family of simple arcs $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_i`$, $`i=1,\mathrm{},m`$, contained in $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ and parametrized by arc length by $`C^2`$ paths $`\gamma _i:[\sigma _i^0,\sigma _i^1]\mathrm{\Omega }`$, such that, for $`t_0<t<t_1`$,

(8.3)
$$K(t)=K(t_0)\underset{i=1}{\overset{m}{}}\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\sigma _i(t)),$$

where $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\sigma ):=\{\gamma _i(\tau ):\sigma _i^0\tau \sigma \}`$ and $`\sigma _i:[t_0,t_1][\sigma _i^0,\sigma _i^1]`$ are non-decreasing functions with $`\sigma _i(t_0)=\sigma _i^0`$ and $`\sigma _i^0<\sigma _i(t)<\sigma _i^1`$ for $`t_0<t<t_1`$. Assume also that the arcs $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_i`$ are pairwise disjoint, and that $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_iK(t_0)=\{\gamma _i(\sigma _i^0)\}`$. We consider the sets $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\sigma _i(t))`$ as the increasing branches of the fracture $`K(t)`$ and the points $`\gamma _i(\sigma _i(t))`$ as their moving tips. For $`i=1,\mathrm{},m`$ and $`\sigma _i^0<\sigma <\sigma _i^1`$ let $`\kappa _i(u,\sigma )`$ be the stress intensity factor defined by (8.2) with $`\gamma =\gamma _i`$ and $`B`$ equal to a sufficiently small ball centred at $`\gamma _i(\sigma )`$.

We are now in a position to state the main result of this section.

###### Theorem 8.4.

Let $`K:[0,1]𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$ be a function which satisfies conditions (a)–(e) of Theorem 7.1 for a suitable $`gAC([0,1];H^1(\mathrm{\Omega }))`$, let $`u(t)`$ be a solution of the minimum problem (6.1) which defines $`(g(t),K(t))`$, and let $`0t_0<t_11`$. Assume that (8.3) is satisfied for $`t_0<t<t_1`$, and that the arcs $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_i`$ and the functions $`\sigma _i`$ satisfy all properties considered above. Then

(8.4) $`\dot{\sigma }_i(t)0\text{ for a.e. }t(t_0,t_1),`$
(8.5) $`1\kappa _i(u(t),\sigma _i(t))^20\text{ for every }t(t_0,t_1),`$
(8.6) $`\left\{1\kappa _i(u(t),\sigma _i(t))^2\right\}\dot{\sigma }_i(t)=0\text{ for a.e. }t(t_0,t_1),`$
for $`i=1,\mathrm{},m`$.

The first condition says simply that the length of every branch of the fracture can not decrease, and reflects the irreversibility of the process. The second condition says that the absolute value of the stress intensity factor must be less than or equal to $`1`$ at every tip and for every time. The last condition says that, at a given tip, the stress intensity factor must be equal to $`\pm 1`$ at almost every time in which this tip moves with a positive velocity. This is Griffith’s criterion for crack growth in our model.

To prove Theorem 8.4 we use the following lemma.

###### Lemma 8.5.

Let $`gH^1(\mathrm{\Omega })`$, let $`H𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }})`$, let $`u`$ be a solution of the minimum problem (6.1) which defines $`(g,H)`$, and let $`A`$ be an open subset of $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$, with Lipschitz boundary, such that $`H\overline{A}Ø`$. Assume that

(8.7)
$$(g,H)(g,K)K𝒦(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}),KH.$$

Then

(8.8)
$$(u,H,A)(u,K,A)K𝒦(\overline{A}),KH\overline{A},$$

where $`𝒦(\overline{A})`$ is the set of all continua $`K\overline{A}`$ with $`^1(K)<+\mathrm{}`$.

###### Proof.

Let $`K𝒦(\overline{A})`$ with $`KH\overline{A}`$, let $`v`$ be a solution of the minimum problem (8.1) which defines $`(u,K,A)`$, and let $`w`$ be the function defined by $`w:=v`$ on $`\overline{A}K`$ and by $`w:=u`$ on $`(\overline{\mathrm{\Omega }}\overline{A})H`$. As $`v=u`$ q.e. on $`AK`$ the function $`w`$ belongs to $`L^{1,2}(\mathrm{\Omega }(HK))`$; using also the fact that $`u=g`$ q.e. on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }H`$, we obtain that $`w=g`$ q.e. on $`_D\mathrm{\Omega }(HK)`$. Therefore

(8.9) $`(g,HK){\displaystyle _{\mathrm{\Omega }(HK)}}|w|^2𝑑x+^1(HK)=`$
$`={\displaystyle _{AK}}|v|^2𝑑x+^1(K\overline{A})+{\displaystyle _{(\mathrm{\Omega }A)H}}|u|^2𝑑x+^1(H\overline{A}).`$
On the other hand, by the minimality of $`u`$,

(8.10) $`{\displaystyle _{AH}}|u|^2𝑑x+^1(H\overline{A})+{\displaystyle _{(\mathrm{\Omega }A)H}}|u|^2𝑑x+^1(H\overline{A})=`$
$`={\displaystyle _{\mathrm{\Omega }H}}|u|^2𝑑x+^1(H)=(g,H)(g,HK),`$
where the last inequality follows from (8.7), since $`HK`$ is connected. From (8.9) and (8.10) we obtain

$$_{AH}|u|^2𝑑x+^1(H\overline{A})_{AK}|v|^2𝑑x+^1(K\overline{A}),$$

and the minimality of $`v`$ yields (8.8). ∎

###### Proof of Theorem 8.4..

Let $`t`$ be an arbitrary point in $`(t_0,t_1)`$ and let $`B_i`$, $`i=1,\mathrm{},m`$, be a family of open balls centred at the points $`\gamma _i(\sigma _i(t))`$. If the radii are sufficiently small, we have $`\overline{B}_i\mathrm{\Omega }`$ and $`\overline{B}_iK(t_0)=\overline{B}_i\overline{B}_j=\overline{B}_i\mathrm{\Gamma }_j=Ø`$ for $`ji`$. Moreover we may assume that $`B_i\mathrm{\Gamma }_i=\{\gamma _i(\sigma ):\tau _i^0<\sigma <\tau _i^1\}`$, for suitable constants $`\tau _i^0,\tau _i^1`$ with $`\sigma _i^0<\tau _i^0<\sigma _i(t)<\tau _i^1<\sigma _i^1`$, and that the arcs $`\mathrm{\Gamma }_i`$ intersect $`B_i`$ only at the points $`\gamma _i(\tau _i^0)`$ and $`\gamma _i(\tau _i^1)`$, with a transversal intersection. All these properties, together with (8.3), imply that

(8.11)
$$\overline{B}_iK(s)=\overline{B}_i\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\sigma _i(s))=\{\gamma _i(\sigma ):\tau _i^0\sigma \sigma _i(s)\}\text{if}\tau _i^0<\sigma _i(s)<\tau _i^1.$$

In particular this happens for $`s=t`$, and for $`s`$ close to $`t`$ if $`\sigma _i`$ is continuous at $`t`$.

By conditions (a) and (c) of Theorem 7.1 and by Lemma 8.5 for every $`i`$ we have that

$$(u(t),K(t),B_i)(u(t),K,B_i)K𝒦(\overline{B}_i),KK(t)\overline{B}_i.$$

By (8.11) this implies, taking $`K:=\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\sigma )\overline{B}_i=\{\gamma _i(\tau ):\tau _i^0\tau \sigma \}`$,

$$(u(t),\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\sigma _i(t)),B_i)(u(t),\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\sigma ),B_i)\text{ for }\sigma _i(t)\sigma \tau _i^1,$$

which yields

(8.12)
$$\frac{d}{d\sigma }(u(t),\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\sigma ),B_i)|\sigma =\sigma _i\left(t\right)0.$$

Inequality (8.5) follows now from Lemma 8.3 applied with $`g:=u(t)`$.

By condition (e) of Theorem 7.1 for a.e. in $`t(t_0,t_1)`$ we have $`\frac{d}{ds}(g(t),K(s))|_{s=t}=0`$. Moreover, for a.e. in $`t(t_0,t_1)`$ the derivative $`\dot{\sigma }_i(t)`$ exists for $`i=1,\mathrm{},m`$. Let us fix $`t(t_0,t_1)`$ which satisfies all these properties.

By (8.11) for $`s`$ close to $`t`$ we have

(8.13)
$$(g(t),K(s))\underset{i=1}{\overset{m}{}}(u(t),\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\sigma _i(s)),B_i)+(u(t),K,A),$$

where $`K:=K(t_0)_i\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\tau _i^0)`$ and $`A:=\mathrm{\Omega }_i\overline{B}_i`$. Note that the equality holds in (8.13) for $`s=t`$. As the functions $`s(g(t),K(s))`$ and $`s(u(t),\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\sigma _i(s)),B_i)`$ are differentiable at $`s=t`$ (by Theorem 8.3 and by the existence of $`\dot{\sigma }_i(t)`$), we conclude that

$`0={\displaystyle \frac{d}{ds}}(g(t),K(s))|s=t={\displaystyle \underset{i=1}{\overset{m}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{d}{ds}}(u(t),\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\sigma _i(s)),B_i)|s=t=`$
$`={\displaystyle \underset{i=1}{\overset{m}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{d}{d\sigma }}(u(t),\mathrm{\Gamma }_i(\sigma ),B_i)|\sigma =\sigma _i\left(t\right)\dot{\sigma }_i(t)={\displaystyle \underset{i=1}{\overset{m}{}}}\left\{1\kappa _i(u(t),\sigma _i(t))^2\right\}\dot{\sigma }_i(t).`$
By (8.4) and (8.5) we have $`\left\{1\kappa _i(u(t),\sigma _i(t))^2\right\}\dot{\sigma }_i(t)0`$ for $`i=1,\mathrm{},m`$, so that the previous equalities yield (8.6). ∎