Higher order weighted Sobolev spaces on the real line for strongly degenerate weights. Application to variational problems in elasticity of beams.

For one-dimensional interval and integrable weight function $w$ we define via completion a weighted Sobolev space $H^{m,p}_{\mu_w}$ of arbitrary integer order $m$. The weights in consideration may suffer strong degeneration so that, in general, functions $u$ from $H^{m,p}_{\mu_w}$ do not have weak derivatives. This contribution is focussed on studying the continuity properties of functions $u$ at a chosen internal point $x_0$ to which we attribute a notion of criticality of order $k$ and with respect to the weight $w$. For non-critical points $x_0$ we formulate a local embedding result that guarantees continuity of functions $u$ or their derivatives. Conversely, we employ duality theory to show that criticality of $x_0$ furnishes a smooth approximation of functions in $H^{m,p}_{\mu_w}$ admitting jump-type discontinuities at $x_0$. The work concludes with demonstration of established results in the context of variational problem in elasticity theory of beams with degenerate width distribution.