Γ-convergence and homogenization of functionals in Sobolev spaces with variable exponents

This paper is devoted to homogenization and minimization problems for variational functionals in the framework of Sobolev spaces with continuous variable exponents. We assume that the sequence of exponents converges in the uniform metric and that the Lagrangian has a periodic microstructure. Then under natural coerciveness assumptions we prove a Gamma-convergence result and, as a consequence, the convergence of minimizers (solutions to the corresponding Euler equations). (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.