On nonuniqueness and nonregularity for gradient flows of polyconvex functionals

Abstract: We provide some counterexamples concerning the uniqueness and regularity of weak solutions to the initial-boundary value problem for gradient flows of certain strongly polyconvex functionals by showing that such a problem can possess a trivial classical solution as well as infinitely many weak solutions that are nowhere smooth. Such polyconvex functions have been constructed in the previous work, and the nonuniqueness and nonregularity will be achieved by reformulating the gradient flow as a space-time partial differential relation and then using the convex integration method to construct certain strongly convergent sequences of subsolutions that have a uniform control on the local essential oscillations of their spatial gradients.