Divergence-Measure Fields: Gauss-Green Formulas and Normal Traces

Abstract

The classical Gauss-Green formula for the multidimensional case is generally stated for $C^{1}$ vector fields and domains with $C^{1}$ boundaries. However, motivated by the physical solutions with discontinuity/singularity for Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) and Calculus of Variations, such as nonlinear hyperbolic conservation laws and Euler-Lagrange equations, the following fundamental issue arises: Does the Gauss-Green formula still hold for vector fields with discontinuity/singularity (such as divergence-measure fields) and domains with rough boundaries? The objective of this paper is to provide an answer to this issue and to present a short historical review of the contributions by many mathematicians spanning more than two centuries, which have made the discovery of the Gauss-Green formula possible.