We establish several gradient estimates for second-order divergence type parabolic and elliptic systems. The coefficients and data are assumed to be Hlder or Dini continuous in the time variable and all but one spatial variable. This type of system arises from the problems of linearly elastic laminates and composite materials. For the proof, we use Campanatos approach in a novel way. Non-divergence type equations under similar conditions are also discussed.

Linear elliptic equations in composite media with anisotropic fibres are concerned. The media consist of a periodic set of anisotropic fibres with low conductivity, included in a connected matrix with high conductivity. Inside the anisotropic fibres, the conductivity in the longitudinal direction is relatively high compared with that in the transverse directions. The coefficients of the elliptic equations depend on the conductivity. This work is to derive the H\"older and the gradient $L^p$ estimates (uniformly in the period size of the set of anisotropic fibres as well as in the conductivity ratio of the fibres in the transverse directions to the connected matrix) for the solutions of the elliptic equations. Furthermore, it is shown that, inside the fibres, the solutions have higher regularity along the fibres than in the transverse directions.

In this paper, we study a new class of fractional partial differential equations which are obtained by minimizing variational problems in fractional Sobolev spaces. We introduce a notion of fractional gradient which has the potential to extend to many classical results in the Sobolev spaces to the nonlocal and fractional setting in a natural way.

The hydrodynamic limit for the Boltzmann equation is studied in the case when the limit system, that is, the system of Euler equations contains contact discontinuities. When suitable initial data is chosen to avoid the initial layer, we prove that there exist a family of solutions to the Boltzmann equation globally in time for small Knudsen number. And this family of solutions converge to the local Maxwellian defined by the contact discontinuity of the Euler equations uniformly away from the discontinuity as the Knudsen number <i></i> tends to zero. The proof is obtained by an appropriately chosen scaling and the energy method through the micro-macro decomposition.

Abstract The bipolar Navier-Stokes-Poisson system (BNSP) has been used to simulate the transport of charged particles (ions and electrons for instance) under the influence of electrostatic force governed by the self-consistent Poisson equation. The optimal L 2 time convergence rate for the global classical solution is obtained for a small initial perturbation of the constant equilibrium state. It is shown that due to the electric field, the difference of the charge densities tend to the equilibrium states at the optimal rate (1+ t)-3 4 in L 2-norm, while the individual momentum of the charged particles converges at the optimal rate (1+ t)-1 4 which is slower than the rate (1+ t)-3 4 for the compressible Navier-Stokes equations (NS). In addition, a new phenomenon on the charge transport is observed regarding the interplay between the two carriers that almost counteracts the influence of the electric field so that the total density and