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Abstract

Epi-derivatives have many applications in optimization as approached through nonsmooth analysis. In particular, second-order epi-derivatives can be used to obtain optimality conditions and carry out sensitivity analysis. Therefore the existence of second-order epi-derivatives for various classes of functions is a topic of considerable interest. A broad class of composite functions on Ropf n called lsquofully amenablersquo functions (which include general penalty functions composed withC 2 mappings, possibly under a constraint qualification) are now known to be twice epi-differentiable. Integral functionals appear widely in problems in infinite-dimensional optimization, yet to date, only integral functionals defined by convex integrands have been shown to be twice epi-differentiable, provided that the integrands are twice epi-differentiable. Here it is shown that integral functionals are twice epi-differentiable even without convexity, provided only that their defining integrands are twice epi-differentiable and satisfy a uniform lower boundedness condition. In particular, integral functionals defined by fully amenable integrands are twice epi-differentiable under mild conditions on the behavior of the integrands.

Mathematics Subject Classifications (1991)  Primary: 49J52 - Secondary: 58C20

Key words  Generalized second derivatives - nonsmooth analysis - epi-derivatives - fully amenable functions - integral functionals - optimization

This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under grant DMS-9200303.

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