Abstract
A 3D−2D dimensional reduction argument through Γ-convergence and relaxation techniques for constrained energy functionals is used to characterize the behavior of ferromagnetic (or ferroelectric) thin films with nonhomogeneous profiles.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Irene Fonseca for her fruitful comments and suggestions. We would like also to acknowledge the Center for Nonlinear Analysis at Carnegie Mellon University for its hospitality and support. Margarida Baía was partially supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Grant PRAXIS XXI SFRH/BD/1174/2000), Fundo social Europeu, the Department of Mathematical Sciences of Carnegie Mellon University and its Center for Nonlinear Analysis. Elvira Zappale was partially supported by GNAMPA. Furthermore Elvira Zappale would like to acknowledge Instituto Superior Tecnico in Lisbon for its hospitality.