The fractional obstacle problem with drift: higher regularity of free boundaries (Q2042691): Difference between revisions

In this very interesting paper the author addresses the higher regularity of free boundaries in obstacle problems for integro-differential operators with drift, such as \((-\Delta)^s+b\cdot\nabla\), in the subcritical regime. The main result of the paper proves that if \(s\notin\mathbb{Q}\) and the free boundary is \(C^1\), then it must be \(C^{\infty}\). In the context of this paper, the obstacle problem with drift consists of solving \[ \min\{Lu+b\cdot\nabla u, u-\varphi\}=0 \text{ in } \mathbb{R}^n, \] where \(s\in\left(\frac{1}{2},1\right)\setminus\mathbb{Q}\), \(b\in\mathbb{R}^n\) is a constant vector, and the obstacle is \(\varphi\in C^{\infty}_c(\mathbb{R}^n)\). The author shows that if \(u\) solves the above equation, then the free boundary \(\partial\{u>\varphi\}\) is \(C^{\infty}\) in a neighborhood of any regular point. This continues the program of the study of the regular free boundary from [Zbl 1365.35230], where the authors proved the initial regularity close to regular points. The author also generalizes his result to integro-differential operators of the form \[ Lu(x)=p.v.\int_{\mathbb{R}^n}(u(x)-u(x+y))K(y)dy, \] where it is assumed the kernel \(K\in C^{\infty}(\mathbb{S}^{n-1})\) satisfies \(\frac{\lambda}{|y|^{n+2s}}\le K(y)\le \frac{\Lambda}{|y|^{n+2s}}\) \(\text{for all }y\in\mathbb{R}^n\), for some \(0<\lambda\le\Lambda\) and for some \(s\in (0,1)\). Under these more general conditions, the free boundary is proved to be \(C^{\infty}\) around zero, as long as certain initial regularity assumptions hold. In the case of the fractional Laplacian, these initial assumptions are shown to hold near regular free boundary points. For this, the author uses results from [\textit{A. Petrosyan} and \textit{C. A. Pop}, ibid. 268, No. 2, 417--472 (2015; Zbl 1366.35223)] and [\textit{N. Garofalo} et al., Ann. Inst. Henri Poincaré, Anal. Non Linéaire 34, No. 3, 533--570 (2017; Zbl 1365.35230)].