Entropy maximization in the two-dimensional Euler equations

Abstract

We consider variational problem related to entropy maximization in the two-dimensional Euler equations, in order to investigate the long-time dynamics of solutions with bounded vorticity. Using variations on the classical min-max principle and borrowing ideas from optimal transportation and quantitative rearrangement inequalities, we prove results on the structure of entropy maximizers arising in the investigation of the long-time behavior of vortex patches. We further show that the same techniques apply in the study of stability of the canonical Gibbs measure associated to a system of point vortices.