Is it true that no mathematical relation exists between the Navier–Stokes equations and the multifractal model?

Contrary to accepted turbulence folklore, which holds that no mathematical relation exists between the Navier–Stokes equations (NSEs) and the multifractal model (MFM) of Parisi and Frisch, we develop a theory that reconciles the MFM with Leray’s weak solutions of Navier–Stokes analysis. From a combination of Euler invariant scaling and the NSEs set in a three-dimensional box of side $L$ , we also derive the Paladin–Vulpiani scale $\eta_{h,pav}$ which is related to the Reynolds number Re by $L\eta _{h,\textit{pa}v}^{-1} = \textit{Re}^{1/(1+h)}$ , and which acts as a mediator between the two theories. This is achieved by considering $L^{2m}$ -norms of the velocity gradient to find a correspondence between $m$ and the local scaling exponent $h$ in the multifractal model. The parameter $m$ acts as if it were the sliding focus control on a telescope which allows us to zoom in and out on different structures. The range $1 \leqslant m \leqslant \infty$ is equivalent to $-{{ {2}/{3}}} \leqslant h_{\textit{min}} \leqslant {{{1}/{3}}}$ , which lies precisely in the region where Bandak et al. ( Phys. Rev. E , 2022, vol. 105, p. 065113; Phys. Rev. Lett. , 2024, vol. 132, p. 104002) have suggested that thermal noise makes the NSEs inadequate and generates spontaneous stochasticity. The implications of this are discussed.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Published
2026-04-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2026.11445
Primary Topic
Fluid Dynamics and Turbulent Flows
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Is it true that no mathematical relation exists between the Navier–Stokes equations and the multifractal model?

John Gibbon, Dario Vincenzi
Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Fluid Dynamics and Turbulent Flows
article

Is it true that no mathematical relation exists between the Navier–Stokes equations and the multifractal model?

John Gibbon, Dario Vincenzi
article en

Abstract

Contrary to accepted turbulence folklore, which holds that no mathematical relation exists between the Navier–Stokes equations (NSEs) and the multifractal model (MFM) of Parisi and Frisch, we develop a theory that reconciles the MFM with Leray’s weak solutions of Navier–Stokes analysis. From a combination of Euler invariant scaling and the NSEs set in a three-dimensional box of side $L$ , we also derive the Paladin–Vulpiani scale $\eta_{h,pav}$ which is related to the Reynolds number Re by $L\eta _{h,\textit{pa}v}^{-1} = \textit{Re}^{1/(1+h)}$ , and which acts as a mediator between the two theories. This is achieved by considering $L^{2m}$ -norms of the velocity gradient to find a correspondence between $m$ and the local scaling exponent $h$ in the multifractal model. The parameter $m$ acts as if it were the sliding focus control on a telescope which allows us to zoom in and out on different structures. The range $1 \leqslant m \leqslant \infty$ is equivalent to $-{{ {2}/{3}}} \leqslant h_{\textit{min}} \leqslant {{{1}/{3}}}$ , which lies precisely in the region where Bandak et al. ( Phys. Rev. E , 2022, vol. 105, p. 065113; Phys. Rev. Lett. , 2024, vol. 132, p. 104002) have suggested that thermal noise makes the NSEs inadequate and generates spontaneous stochasticity. The implications of this are discussed.

Journal of Fluid MechanicsVol. 1034
Université Côte d'Azur (FR), Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur (FR), Imperial College London (GB)
University of Cambridge, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, Division of Mathematical Sciences
Openalex Percentile: Top 6%
Fluid Dynamics and Turbulent Flows
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Is it true that no mathematical relation exists between the Navier–Stokes equations and the multifractal model? — John Gibbon, Dario Vincenzi · Journal of Fluid Mechanics (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS