The Dirichlet problem for the degenerate Monge-Ampère equation (Q1087722)

The authors study the problem of finding a convex function u in \(\Omega\) such that \[ (1)\quad \det (u_{ij})=0\quad in\quad \Omega;\quad (2)\quad u=\phi \text{ given on }\partial \Omega, \] where \(\Omega\) is a bounded convex domain in \(R^ n\) with smooth, strictly convex boundary \(\partial \Omega\) and \(u_ i=\partial u/\partial x_ i\), \(u_{ij}=\partial^ 2u/\partial x_ i\partial x_ j\) etc. The existence of a smooth solution in \({\bar \Omega}\) satisfying (2) of the corresponding elliptic problem \[ (1)'\quad \det (u_{ij})=\psi >0\quad in\quad \Omega, \] has been recently shown by \textit{N. V. Krylov} [Math. USSR, Izv. 22, 67-97 (1984); translation from Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Mat. 47, No.1, 75-108 (1983; Zbl 0578.35024)] and the authors [Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 37, 369-402 (1984; Zbl 0598.35047)] in case \(\psi\) and \(\phi\) are sufficiently smooth. It is interesting to treat the degenerate problem (1), (2). The corresponding question for degenerate complex Monge-Ampère equation to find a plurisubharmonic function w in a bounded pseudoconvex domain \(\Omega\) in \({\mathbb{C}}^ n\) satisfying \[ (3)\quad \det (w_{z_ j\bar z_ k})=0\quad in\quad \Omega, \] and (2) is also interesting. The authors with \textit{J. J. Kohn} [Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 38, 209-252 (1985; Zbl 0598.35048)] treated the equation \[ (3)'\quad \det (w_{z_ j\bar z_ k})=\psi >0\quad in\quad \Omega, \] and showed that there is a plurisubharmonic solution w belonging to \(C^{1,1}(\Omega)\), provided \(\psi\not\equiv 0\), \(\psi\) satisfies some other conditions, and \(\psi\) and \(\phi\) are sufficiently smooth. In the unique solution of (1), (2) is given by \[ (4)\quad u(x)=\max \{v(x)| \quad v\in C({\bar \Omega}),\text{ v convex and \(v\leq \phi\) on }\partial \Omega\}, \] and several authors have studied the regularity of u. The authors prove an extension up to the boundary of the regularity in case \(\phi\) is sufficiently smooth.