A note on a generalized form of the Laplacian and of sub-Laplacians

In this note we prove a recent conjecture of Hasson [11]: we show that, for a locally integrable function u, a sufficient condition to be harmonic is that $ \lim\limits_{r\to 0^+} r^{-2}(M_{r}u-u) = 0 $ in the weak sense of distributions (M _r being the averaging operator on balls of radius r). We also extend this and other results to the setting of sub-Laplacians on Carnot groups.Investigation supported by University of Bologna. Funds for selected research topics.     

Liouville-type theorems for real sub-Laplacians

An inequality generalizing the classical Liouville and Harnack Theorems for real sub-Laplacians ℒ is proved. A representation formula for functions $u$ for which ℒu is a polynomial is also showed. As a consequence, some conditions are given ensuring that u is a polynomial whenever ℒu is a polynomial. Finally, an application of this last result is given: if ψ is a C ² map commuting with ℒ, then any of its component is a polynomial function. Received: 3 November 2000     

The Third Problem for the Laplace Equation with a Boundary Condition from L p

The third problem for the Laplace equation is studied on an open set with Lipschitz boundary. The boundary condition is in L_p and it is fulfilled in the sense of the nontangential limit. The existence and the uniqueness of a solution is proved and the solution is expressed in the form of a single layer potential. For domains with C¹ boundary the explicit solution of the problem is calculated.     

The Oblique Derivative Problem for the Laplace Equation in a Plain Domain

The oblique derivative problem for the Laplace equation is studied in a planar multiply connected domain. The boundary condition has a form where is the unit normal vector, is the unit tangential vector and is a fixed real number. If is a Hölderian function and the corresponding domain has Ljapunov boundary then the classical problem is studied. If on the boundary and the domain has a locally Lipschitz boundary then a solution, which fulfils the boundary condition in the sense of a nontangential limit, is studied. If is a real measure on the boundary and the domain has bounded cyclic variation then a solution in a sense of distributions is studied. The solution is looked for in a form of a linear combination of a single layer potential and an angular potential.     

Sobolev inequalities with remainder terms for sublaplacians and other subelliptic operators

We prove that on bounded domains Ω, the usual Sobolev inequality for sublaplacians on Carnot groups can be improved by adding a remainder term, in striking analogy with the euclidean case. We also show analogous results for subelliptic operators like $$ {\user1{\mathcal{L}}} = \Delta _{x} + |x|^{{2\alpha }} \Delta _{y} ,\,\alpha \gt 0. $$     

Existence and uniqueness for P-area minimizers in the Heisenberg group

In [3] we studied p-mean curvature and the associated p-minimal surfaces in the Heisenberg group from the viewpoint of PDE and differential geometry. In this paper, we look into the problem through the variational formulation. We study a generalized p-area and associated ( p-) minimizers in general dimensions. We prove the existence and investigate the uniqueness of minimizers. Since this is reduced to solving a degenerate elliptic equation, we need to consider the effect of the singular set and this requires a careful study. We define the notion of weak solution and prove that in a certain Sobolev space, a weak solution is a minimizer and vice versa. We also give many interesting examples in dimension 2. An intriguing point is that, in dimension 2, a C ²-smooth solution from the PDE viewpoint may not be a minimizer. However, this statement is true for higher dimensions due to the relative smallness of the size of the singular set.     

Linear growth coefficients in quasilinear equations

In the paper the author proves properties of existence, uniqueness and regularity for divergence form elliptic equations, extending these results from the linear case to the quasilinear one.     

An Invariant Harnack Inequality for a Class of Hypoelliptic Ultraparabolic Equations

We show an invariant Harnack inequality for a class of hypoelliptic ultraparabolic operators with underlying homogeneous Lie group structures. As a byproduct we prove a Liouville type theorem for the related stationary operators. We also introduce a notion of link of homogeneous Lie Groups that allows us to show that our results apply to wide classes of operators.     

Transmission problems and spectral theory for singular integral operators on Lipschitz domains

We prove the well-posedness of the transmission problem for the Laplacian across a Lipschitz interface, with optimal non-tangential maximal function estimates, for data in Lebesgue and Hardy spaces on the boundary. As a corollary, we show that the spectral radius of the (adjoint) harmonic double layer potential K∗ in is less than , whenever is a bounded convex domain and 1<p?2.     

Nonlinear Liouville theorems for some critical problems on H-type groups

In this paper, we provide a non-existence result for a semilinear sub-elliptic Dirichlet problem with critical growth on the half-spaces of any group of Heisenberg-type. Our result improves a recent theorem in (Math. Ann. 315 (3) (2000) 453).     

Semilinear subelliptic problems with critical growth on Carnot groups

We prove existence and multiplicity of solutions for the semilinear subelliptic problem with critical growth in Ω, u = 0 on ∂Ω, where is a sublaplacian on a Carnot group , 2* = 2Q/(Q − 2) is the critical Sobolev exponent for and Ω is a bounded domain of .     

A spectral radius formula for the Fourier transform on compact groups and applications to random walks

Let G be a compact group, not necessarily abelian, let ? be its unitary dual, and for f∈L¹(G), let fn?f∗?∗f denote n-fold convolution of f with itself and f? the Fourier transform of f. In this paper, we derive the following spectral radius formula

     

Bohr phenomena for Laplace-Beltrami operators

We investigate a Bohr phenomenon on the spaces of solutions of weighted Laplace-Beltrami operators associated with the hyperbolic metric of the unit ball in ?^N. These solutions do not satisfy the usual maximum principle, and the spaces have natural bases none of whose members is a constant function. We show that these bases exhibit a Bohr phenomenon, define a Bohr radius for them that extends the classical Bohr radius, and compute it exactly. We also compute the classical Bohr radius of the invariant harmonic functions on the real hyperbolic space.     

Pseudodifferential Calculi on the Half-line Respecting Prescribed Asymptotic Types

Given asymptotics types P, Q, pseudodifferential operators are constructed in such a way that if u(t) possesses conormal asymptotics of type P as t +0, then Au(t) possesses conormal asymptotics of type Q as t +0. This is achieved by choosing the operators A in Schulzes cone algebra on the half-line , controlling their complete Mellin symbols { }, and prescribing the mapping properties of the residual Green operators. The constructions lead to a coordinate invariant calculus, including trace and potential operators at t = 0, in which a parametrix construction for the elliptic elements is possible. Boutet de Monvels calculus for pseudodifferential boundary problems occurs as a special case when P = Q is the type resulting from Taylor expansion at t = 0.     

Schrödinger Operators with Rapidly Oscillating Potentials

Schr?dinger operators with rapidly oscillating potentials V such as are considered. Such potentials are not relatively compact with respect to the free Schr?dinger operator −Δ. We show that the oscillating potential V do not change the essential spectrum of −Δ. Moreover we derive upper bounds for negative eigenvalue sums of Ĥ.     

Perturbation of orthonormal bases with an application to diagonalization

Given an orthonormal basis {e _n } _n=1 in a Hilbert spaceH, and a dense linear manifoldDH, we show that there exists a unitary operatorV onH such thatI-V is a trace-class operator with arbitrarily small trace norm, andVe _jD for allj. This result can be used to simplify certain arguments of J. Xia concerning the simultaneous diagonalization of operators on a space of square integrable functions.     

High-frequency asymptotics of waves trapped by underwater ridges and submerged cylinders

As is well-known, underwater ridges and submerged horizontal cylinders can serve as waveguides for surface water waves. For large values of the wavenumber k   in the direction the ridge, there is only one trapped wave (this was proved in Bonnet-Ben Dhia and Joly [Mathematical analysis of guided water waves, SIAM J. Appl. Math. 53 (1993) 1507–1550]. We construct asymptotics of these trapped waves and their frequencies as k→∞$k\to \infty$ by means of reducing the initial problem to a pair of boundary integral equations and then by applying the method of Zhevandrov and Merzon [Asymptotics of eigenfunctions in shallow potential wells and related problems, Amer. Math. Soc. Trans. 208 (2) (2003) 235–284], in order to solve them.