Maximal monotone operators are selfdual vector fields and vice-versa

Abstract

If $L$ is a selfdual Lagrangian $L$ on a reflexive phase space $X\times X^*$, then the vector field $x\to \bar\partial L(x):=\{p\in X^*; (p,x)\in \partial L(x,p)\}$ is maximal monotone. Conversely, any maximal monotone operator $T$ on $X$ is derived from such a potential on phase space, that is there exists a selfdual Lagrangian $L$ on $X\times X^*$ (i.e, $L^*(p, x) =L(x, p)$) such that $T=\bar\partial L$. This solution to problems raised by Fitzpatrick can be seen as an extension of a celebrated result of Rockafellar stating that maximal cyclically monotone operators are actually of the form $T=\partial \phi$ for some convex lower semi-continuous function on $X$. This representation allows for the application of the selfdual variational theory --recently developed by the author-- to the equations driven by maximal monotone vector fields. Consequently, solutions to equations of the form $\Lambda x\in Tx$ for a given map $\Lambda: D(\Lambda)\subset X\to X^*$, can now be obtained by minimizing functionals of the form $I(x)=L(x,\Lambda x)-< x, \Lambda x>$.