The perturbed test function method for viscosity solutions of nonlinear PDE

Synopsis The method of viscosity solutions for nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs) justifies passages to limits by in effect using the maximum principle to convert to the corresponding limit problem for smooth test functions. We describe in this paper a “perturbed test function” device, which entails various modifications of the test functions by lower order correctors. Applications include homogenisation for quasilinear elliptic PDEs and approximation of quasilinear parabolic PDEs by systems of Hamilton-Jacobi equations.