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Expand $P_{N}w$ in the orthonormal Stokes operator eigenbasis:The $H$ and $V$ norms satisfySince ${\lambda }_k\le {\lambda }_N$ on the projected space,This is the basic inverse estimate for a spectral projection of the Stokes operator.

The sobolev embedding theorem in three dimensions and the periodic elliptic estimate for the Stokes operator giveThe last step uses the absence of the zero Fourier mode: on mean-zero periodic fields, the Poincaré inequality makes the homogeneous $H^2$ norm controlled by $\Vert \Delta v{\Vert }_2=|Av|$.

DefineThe first equation and the bounded inverse of the Stokes operator show that $u\in L^{\infty }(0,T;D(A))$ and thatin $L^{\infty }(0,T;H)$. In fact, the strong convergence from part (i) and convergence of the spectral projections implyIn three dimensions $D(A)\subset H^2\hookrightarrow L^{\infty }$, so $u_m{\theta }_m\to u\theta$ in $L^1(0,T;L^2)$. Because $\nabla \cdot u_m=0$,and the nonlinear term consequently converges in distributions and in the required weak $L^2(0,T;H_{\mathrm{per}}^{-1})$ sense. The linear terms pass by weak convergence, while ${\Pi }_m$ tends strongly to the identity. Hencein $L^2(0,T;H_{\mathrm{per}}^{-1})$. Together with part (i), this proves existence of a global weak solution of the Rayleigh-Bénard convection system on every finite interval.

Rayleigh-Bénard convection is buoyancy-driven flow caused by heating a fluid from below. In an infinite-Prandtl-number reduction, velocity is determined instantaneously by a forced Stokes equation, while temperature satisfies an advection-diffusion equation.