Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-fixed-point-methods-for-nonlinear-partial-differential-equations-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/2/a/iii/solution

We first prove the compact-domain Schauder fixed-point theorem. Let be a nonempty compact convex set in a Banach space , and let be a continuous map. The Brouwer fixed-point theorem states that every continuous map of a finite-dimensional closed unit ball into itself has a fixed point. By the homeomorphism proved in part (a)(ii), it applies equally to any nonempty finite-dimensional compact convex set, including a singleton.
For , use the supplied Schauder approximation lemma to obtain a finite-dimensional linear subspace and a continuous map with . The set is nonempty because it contains . It is a compact convex set, since a finite-dimensional linear subspace is closed. Restricting to and applying the Brouwer fixed-point theorem gives , and thus
Take . The compactness of yields a convergent subsequence . The continuity of and the preceding estimate give
For completeness, this also proves the version on a nonempty closed bounded convex set when is relatively compact. Let . The closed convex hull of a compact set in a Banach space is compact. To verify the fact needed here, cover by finitely many balls of radius . Replacing every term of a convex combination by a centre changes it by at most in norm. The convex hull of those finitely many centres is compact in a finite-dimensional linear subspace, so it has a finite net of radius . Thus is totally bounded. Its closure is complete and totally bounded, hence compact. Now , so the compact-domain result supplies a fixed point in .

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