Obstacle problems for the elastic flow and related topics
arXiv:2512.21802
Abstract
In this note, we study an obstacle problem for the elastic flow. We prove the local-in-time existence of weak solutions and discuss their relation to classical solutions when additional regularity is obtained. Related results concerning obstacle problems for the bending energy are also collected.
22 pages, 3 figures, to appear in 2025 MATRIX Annals