Gamma-liminf estimate for a class of non-local approximations of Sobolev and BV norms

Abstract

We consider a family of non-local and non-convex functionals, and we prove that their Gamma-liminf is bounded from below by a positive multiple of the Sobolev norm or the total variation. As a by-product, we answer some open questions concerning the limiting behavior of these functionals. The proof relies on the analysis of a discretized version of these functionals.

22 pages. In the second version we expanded the introduction, we added some references, and we corrected a few typos