Two remarks on liftings of maps with values into S1

Given a map $u\in L_{\mathrm{loc}}^1(\Omega ,S^1)$ with some regularity: ${|u|}_X=R<\infty$, we consider the problem of finding a lifting φ of u (i.e. a measurable function satisfying $u={\mathrm{e}}^{\mathrm{i}\phi }$) with the same regularity and with an optimal control ${|\phi |}_X?g(R)$. Two cases are treated here:(i) ${|?|}_X$ is a $W^{s,p}(0,1)$-seminorm, with $0<s<1<p$ and $sp>1$. We find a lifting φ such that ${|\phi |}_{W^{s,p}(I)}?C(R+R^{1/s})$ and we show that the exponent $1/s$ cannot be improved.(ii) ${|?|}_X$ is the $\mathit{BV}(\Omega )$-seminorm where $\Omega ?{\mathbf{R}}^d$ is a smooth open set. We give a simplified proof of a previous result J. Dàvila, R. Ignat, Lifting of BV functions with values in $S^1$, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 337 (3) (2003) 159–164]: there exists $\phi \in \mathit{BV}(\Omega )$ satisfying ${|\phi |}_{\mathit{BV}}?2R$. To cite this article: B. Merlet, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 343 (2006).