Controllability of an Elliptic equation and its Finite Difference Approximation by the Shape of the Domain

In this article we study a controllability problem for an elliptic partial differential equation in which the control is the shape of the domain where the equation holds. The quantity to be controlled is the trace of the solution, with a given right hand side source term, into an open subdomain. The mapping that associates this trace to the shape of the domain is nonlinear. We first consider the linearized problem and show an approximate controllability property. We then address the same questions in the context of a finite difference discretization of the elliptic problem. We prove a local controllability result applying the Inverse Function Theorem together with a ``unique continuation'' property of the underlying adjoint discrete system.