The Perron method for p-harmonic functions in metric spaces

We use the Perron method to construct and study solutions of the Dirichlet problem for p-harmonic functions in proper metric measure spaces endowed with a doubling Borel measure supporting a weak (1,q)-Poincaré inequality (for some 1?q<p). The upper and lower Perron solutions are constructed for functions defined on the boundary of a bounded domain and it is shown that these solutions are p-harmonic in the domain. It is also shown that Newtonian (Sobolev) functions and continuous functions are resolutive, i.e. that their upper and lower Perron solutions coincide, and that their Perron solutions are invariant under perturbations of the function on a set of capacity zero. We further study the problem of resolutivity and invariance under perturbations for semicontinuous functions. We also characterize removable sets for bounded p-(super)harmonic functions.     

A priori estimate for non-uniform elliptic equations

A priori estimate for non-uniform elliptic equations with periodic boundary conditions is concerned. The domain considered consists of two sub-regions, a connected high permeability region and a disconnected matrix block region with low permeability. Let ? denote the size ratio of one matrix block to the whole domain. It is shown that in the connected high permeability sub-region, the Hölder and the Lipschitz estimates of the non-uniform elliptic solutions are bounded uniformly in ?. But Hölder gradient estimate and Lp estimate of the second order derivatives of the solutions in general are not bounded uniformly in ?.     

p-Harmonic functions with boundary data having jump discontinuities and Baernstein's problem

For p-harmonic functions on unweighted R², with 1<p<∞, we show that if the boundary values f has a jump at an (asymptotic) corner point z₀, then the Perron solution Pf is asymptotically a+barg(z−z₀)+o(|z−z₀|). We use this to obtain a positive answer to Baernstein's problem on the equality of the p-harmonic measure of a union G of open arcs on the boundary of the unit disc, and the p-harmonic measure of . We also obtain various invariance results for functions with jumps and perturbations on small sets. For p>2 these results are new also for continuous functions. Finally we look at generalizations to Rn and metric spaces.     

Nodal solutions for singularly perturbed equations with critical exponential growth

The existence and concentration behavior of nodal solutions are established for the equation −?²Δu+V(z)u=f(u) in Ω, where Ω is a domain in R², not necessarily bounded, V is a positive Hölder continuous function and f∈C¹ is an odd function having critical exponential growth.     

The regularity for nonlinear parabolic systems of p-Laplacian type with critical growth

We study the Hölder regularity of weak solutions to the evolutionary p  -Laplacian system with critical growth on the gradient. We establish a natural criterion for proving that a small solution and its gradient are locally Hölder continuous almost everywhere. Actually our regularity result recovers the classical result in the case p=2$p=2$ [16] and can be applied to study the regularity of the heat flow for m-dimensional H-systems as well as the m-harmonic flow.     

Regularity of quasi-minimizers on metric spaces

Using the theory of Sobolev spaces on a metric measure space we are able to apply calculus of variations and define p-harmonic functions as minimizers of the p-Dirichlet integral. More generally, we study regularity properties of quasi-minimizers of p-Dirichlet integrals in a metric measure space. Applying the De Giorgi method we show that quasi-minimizers, and in particular p-harmonic functions, satisfy Harnack's inequality, the strong maximum principle, and are locally H?lder continuous, if the space is doubling and supports a Poincaré inequality. Received: 12 May 2000 / Revised version: 20 April 2001     

Optimal partial regularity for sub-elliptic systems with sub-quadratic growth in Carnot groups

This paper is devoted to partial regularity for weak solutions to nonlinear sub-elliptic systems for the case 1<m<2 under natural growth conditions in Carnot groups. The method of A-harmonic approximation introduced by Simon and developed by Duzaar, Grotowski and Kronz is adapted to our context, and then partial regularity with the optimal local Hölder exponent for horizontal gradients of weak solutions to the systems is established.     

Homomorphisms on real-valued little Lipschitz function spaces

We describe the general form of algebra, ring and vector lattice homomorphisms between spaces of real-valued little Lipschitz functions on compact Hölder metric spaces (X,dα) for 0<α<1.     

A Fatou theorem for α-harmonic functions

We study functions which are harmonic in the upper half space with respect to (−Δ)^α/2, 0<α<2. We prove a Fatou theorem when the boundary function is L^p-Hölder continuous of order β and βp>1. We give examples to show this condition is sharp.     

Schauder estimates for a degenerate second order elliptic operator on a cube

In the present article we are concerned with a class of degenerate second order differential operators LA,b defined on the cube d[0,1], with d?1. Under suitable assumptions on the coefficients A and b (among them the assumption of their Hölder regularity) we show that the operator LA,b defined on C²(d[0,1]) is closable and its closure is m-dissipative. In particular, its closure is the generator of a C₀-semigroup of contractions on C(d[0,1]) and C²(d[0,1]) is a core for it. The proof of such result is obtained by studying the solvability in Hölder spaces of functions of the elliptic problem λu(x)−LA,bu(x)=f(x), x∈d[0,1], for a sufficiently large class of functions f.     

Regularity of Lipschitz free boundaries in two-phase problems for the p-Laplace operator

In this paper we study the regularity of the free boundary in a general two-phase free boundary problem for the p-Laplace operator and we prove, in particular, that Lipschitz free boundaries are C1,γ-smooth for some γ∈(0,1). As part of our argument, and which is of independent interest, we establish a Hopf boundary type principle for non-negative p-harmonic functions vanishing on a portion of the boundary of a Lipschitz domain.     

Weighted estimates for commutators of some singular integrals related to Schrödinger operators

Let L=−Δ+V$L=-\mathrm{\Delta }+V$ be a Schrödinger operator with a non-negative potential V satisfying some appropriate reverse Hölder inequality. In this paper, we study the boundedness of the commutators of some singular integrals associated to L such as the Riesz transforms and fractional integrals with the new BMO functions introduced in Bongioanni et al. (2011) [1] on the weighted spaces L^p(w)$L^p(w)$ where w belongs to the new classes of weights introduced by Bongioanni et al. (2011) [2].     

Dirichlet problem at infinity on Gromov hyperbolic metric measure spaces

We study the asymptotic Dirichlet problem for p-harmonic functions in a very general setting of Gromov hyperbolic metric measure spaces.     

The transmission problem in domains with a corner point for the Laplace operator in weighted Hölder spaces

We prove the existence and uniqueness of a solution to the elliptic transmission problem in nonsmooth domains in the weighted Hölder space. The coercive estimates of the solution are given.     

Global solutions and asymptotic behavior for a parabolic degenerate coupled system arising from biology

In this paper we will focus on a parabolic degenerate system with respect to unknown functions u and w on a bounded domain of the two dimensional Euclidean space. This system appears as a mathematical model for some biological processes. Global existence and uniqueness of a nonnegative classical Hölder continuous solution are proved. The last part of the paper is devoted to the study of the asymptotic behavior of the solutions.     

Necessity of a Wiener type condition for boundary regularity of quasiminimizers and nonlinear elliptic equations

We use variational methods to obtain a pointwise estimate near a boundary point for quasisubminimizers of the p-energy integral and other integral functionals in doubling metric measure spaces admitting a p-Poincaré inequality. It implies a Wiener type condition necessary for boundary regularity for p-harmonic functions on metric spaces, as well as for (quasi)minimizers of various integral functionals and solutions of nonlinear elliptic equations on R ⁿ .     

On boundary behavior of harmonic functions in Hölder domains

We analyze the boundary behavior of harmonic functions in a domain whose boundary is locally given by a graph of a Hölder continuous function. In particular we give a non-probabilistic proof of a Harnack-type principle, due to Bañuelos et al. and study some properties of the harmonic measure.     

Singularity analysis of a p-Ginzburg-Landau type minimizer

This paper is concerned with the convergence of a p-Ginzburg-Landau type functional when the parameter goes to zero. By estimating the singularity of the energy and establishing the Pohozaev identity, we find the singularity of the energy concentrates on the domain near the singularities of a p-harmonic map.     

Optimal partial regularity for weak solutions of nonlinear sub-elliptic systems in Carnot groups

This paper is concerned with partial regularity for weak solutions to nonlinear sub-elliptic systems in divergence form in Carnot groups. The technique of A-harmonic approximation introduced by Simon and developed by Duzaar and Grotowski is adapted to our context. We establish Caccioppoli type inequalities and partial regularity with optimal local Hölder exponents for horizontal gradients of weak solutions to systems under super-quadratic natural structure conditions and super-quadratic controllable structure conditions, respectively.     

A multidirectional Dirichlet problem

B.E.J. Dahlberg’s theorems on the mutual absolute continuity of harmonic and surface measures, and on the unique solvability of the Dirichlet problem for Laplace’s equation with data taken in L^p spaces p > 2 ? δ are extended to compact polyhedral domains of ?ⁿ. Consequently, for q < 2 + δ, Dahlberg’s reverse Hölder inequality for the density of harmonic measure is established for compact polyhedra that additionally satisfy the Harnack chain condition. It is proved that a compact polyhedral domain satisfies the Harnack chain condition if its boundary is a topological manifold. The double suspension of the Mazur manifold is invoked to indicate that perhaps such a polyhedron need not itself be a manifold with boundary; see the footnote in Section 9. A theorem on approximating compact polyhedra by Lipschitz domains in a certain weak sense is proved, along with other geometric lemmas.