Convex functions on the Heisenberg group

Convex functions in Euclidean space can be characterized as universal viscosity subsolutions of all homogeneous fully nonlinear second order elliptic partial differential equations. This is the starting point we have chosen for a theory of convex functions on the Heisenberg group.Received: 5 July 2002, Accepted: 24 October 2002, Published online: 6 June 2003Mathematics Subject Classification (1991): 49L25, 35J70, 35J67, 22E30Guozhen Lu: First author supported by US NSF grant DMS-9970352Juan J. Manfredi: Second author supported by US NSF grant DMS-0100107Bianca Stroffolini: Third author was supported by G.N.A.M.P.A. and by the 2002 projectPartial Differential Equations and Control Theory     

Positive definite functions on the Heisenberg group

Work supported in part by the NSF     

New properties of convex functions in the Heisenberg group

We prove some new properties of the weakly -convex functions recently introduced by Danielli, Garofalo and Nhieu. As an interesting application of our results we prove a theorem of Busemann-Feller-Alexandrov type in the Heisenberg groups , .

     

Two versions of the Nikodym maximal function on the Heisenberg group

The classical Nikodym maximal function on the Euclidean plane R² is defined as the supremum over averages over rectangles of eccentricity N; its operator norm in L²(R²) is known to be O(logN). We consider two variants, one on the standard Heisenberg group H¹ and the other on the polarized Heisenberg group . The latter has logarithmic L² operator norm, while the former has the L² operator norm which grows essentially of order O(N1/4). We shall imbed these two maximal operators in the family of operators associated to the hypersurfaces {(x₁,x₂,αx₁x₂)} in the Heisenberg group H¹ where the exceptional blow up in N occurs when α=0.     

Positive definite temperature functions on the Heisenberg group

We characterize positive definite temperature functions, i.e., positive definite solutions of the heat equation, on the Heisenberg group in terms of the initial values. We also obtain an integral representation for positive definite and U(n)-invariant temperature functions with polynomial growth, where U(n) is the group of all n× n unitary matrices.     

An optimal theorem for the spherical maximal operator on the Heisenberg group

Let be the Heisenberg group and μ _r be the normalized surface measure on the sphere of radiusr in ℂ ⁿ . Let . We prove an optimalL ^p-boundedness result for the spherical maximal functionMf, namely we prove thatM is bounded onL ^p(I ⁿ ) if and only ifp>2n/2n−1.     

Smooth approximation for intrinsic Lipschitz functions in the Heisenberg group

We characterize intrinsic Lipschitz functions as maps which can be approximated by a sequence of smooth maps, with pointwise convergent intrinsic gradient. We also provide an estimate of the Lipschitz constant of an intrinsic Lipschitz function in terms of the $L^{\infty }$ -norm of its intrinsic gradient.     

Gelfand pairs on the Heisenberg group and Schwartz functions

Let Hn be the (2n+1)-dimensional Heisenberg group and K a compact group of automorphisms of Hn such that (K?Hn,K) is a Gelfand pair. We prove that the Gelfand transform is a topological isomorphism between the space of K-invariant Schwartz functions on Hn and the space of Schwartz function on a closed subset of Rs homeomorphic to the Gelfand spectrum of the Banach algebra of K-invariant integrable functions on Hn.     

Spherical means and CR functions on the Heisenberg group

The injectivity of the spherical mean value operator on the Heisenberg group is studied. Whenf ∈L ^P (Hⁿ), 1 ≤p < ∞ it is proved that the spherical mean value operator is injective. When 1 ≤p ≤ 2,f(z, ·) ∈L ^P (ℝ) the same is proved under much weaker conditions in the z-variable. Some extensions of recent results of Agranovskyet al. regardingCR functions on the Heisenberg group are also obtained.     

Lipschitz continuity of refinable functions on the Heisenberg group

In this paper, the Lipschitz continuity of refinable functions related to the general acceptable dilations on the Heisenberg group will be investigated in terms of the uniform joint spectral radius. We also give an investigation of the refinable functions in the generalized Lipschitz spaces related to a kind of special acceptable dilations.     

The growth of H-harmonic functions on the Heisenberg group

We discuss the relationship between the frequency and the growth of H-harmonic functions on the Heisenberg group.Precisely,we prove that an H-harmonic function must be a polynomial if its frequency is globally bounded.Moreover,we show that a class of H-harmonic functions are homogeneous polynomials provided that the frequency of such a function is equal to some constant.     

Boundedness of the fractional maximal operator in generalized Morrey space on the Heisenberg group

In this paper we study the fractional maximal operator M _α , 0 ≤ α < Q on the Heisenberg group ? _n in the generalized Morrey spaces M _{p, ?}(? _n ), where Q = 2n + 2 is the homogeneous dimension of ? _n . We find the conditions on the pair (? ₁, ? ₂) which ensures the boundedness of the operator M _α from one generalized Morrey space M _{p, ?1}(? _n ) to another M _{q, ?2}(? _n ), 1 < p < q < ∞, 1/p?1/q = α/Q, and from the space M _{1, ?1}(? _n ) to the weak space WM _{q, ?2}(? _n ), 1 < q < ∞, 1 ? 1/q = α/Q. We also find conditions on the φ which ensure the Adams type boundedness of M _α from $M_{p,\phi ^{\tfrac{1} {p}} } \left( {\mathbb{H}_n } \right)$ to $M_{q,\phi ^{\tfrac{1} {q}} } \left( {\mathbb{H}_n } \right)$ for 1 < p < q < ∞ and from M _{1, ?}(? _n ) to $WM_{q,\phi ^{\tfrac{1} {q}} } \left( {\mathbb{H}_n } \right)$ for 1 < q < ∞. As applications we establish the boundedness of some Schrödinger type operators on generalized Morrey spaces related to certain nonnegative potentials V belonging to the reverse Hölder class B _∞(” _n ).     

Superharmonic functions in the Heisenberg group: estimates and Liouville theorems

We state some growth conditions on non negative superharmonic functions of the Heisenberg group in intrinsic cones and prove some non existence results for non negative D_H \Delta_H polyharmonic functions and L¹D_H L^1\Delta_H superharmonic functions.     

A Morera type theorem forL 2 functions in the Heisenberg group

We obtain a Morera type characterization for the square integrable CR functions on the Heisenberg group. Partially supported by NSF Grant DMS-90524569. $Partially supported by NSF Grant DMS-9000968.     

Gelfand transforms of polyradial Schwartz functions on the Heisenberg group

We prove that the Gelfand transform is a topological isomorphism between the space of polyradial Schwartz functions on the Heisenberg group and the space of Schwartz functions on the Heisenberg brush. We obtain analogous results for radial Schwartz functions on Heisenberg type groups.     

Green functions and related boundary value problems on the Heisenberg group

In this article, a modified Kelvin transform on ? _n using inversion with respect to a ball of arbitrary radius is defined, which gives explicit expressions for Green's function and Poisson's kernel for the Korányi ball of arbitrary radius and annular domain. The solution of the Dirichlet problem for the union of two balls is discussed using the Schwarz's alternating method.     

Quasiconvexity in the Heisenberg group

We show that if A is a closed subset of the Heisenberg group whose vertical projections are nowhere dense, then the complement of A is quasiconvex. In particular, closed sets which are null sets for the cc-Hausdorff 3-measure have quasiconvex complements. Conversely, we exhibit a compact totally disconnected set of Hausdorff dimension three whose complement is not quasiconvex.     

Approximate identities from Laguerre functions and singular integrals on the Heisenberg group

Suitably scaled Laguerre functions are an approximate identity for multiplicative convolution with test functions on the half line. As an application, we derive a precise connection between the Mikhlin-type expansion of a singular integral operator on a Heisenberg groupH _n and its natural restriction toH _n modulo the center. Research supported by NSF Grant DMS-9800605 and by NSERC Grant OGP0003017.