Sobolev inequalities for \((0,q)\) forms on CR manifolds of finite type (Q2275686)

Let \(M^{2n+1}\) (\(\geq 2\)) be a compact pseudoconvex CR manifold of finite commutator type (i.e. the brackets of real and imaginary parts of the \((1,0)\) vector fields of length \(\leq m\) span the tangent space of \(M\) at \(x\)) whose \(\bar\partial_b\) has closed range in \(L^2\) and whose Levi form has comparable eigenvalues. The author proves a Gagliardo-Nirenberg inequality for the \(\bar\partial_b\) complex for \((0,q)\) forms, when \(q\not= 1,n-1\). He also proves an analogous inequality when \(M\) satisfies condition \(Y(q)\) (i.e. at every point the Levi form has \(\max(q+1,n-q+1)\) eigenvalues of the same sign or \(\min(q+1,n-q+1)\) pairs of eigenvalues of opposite signs). For instance, in the special case of a strongly pseudoconvex manifold, his results yield: {Let \(M^{2n+1}\) be a compact strongly pseudoconvex CR manifold of dimension \(2n+1\geq 5\). Let \(q\not=1,n-1\). Then for any smooth \((0,q)\) form orthogonal to the kernel of \(\square_b\), one has \[ \| u\|_{L^{{Q\over{Q-1}}}(M)} \lesssim \|\bar\partial_b u \|_{L^1(M)}+ \|\bar\partial^*_b u \|_{L^1(M)} \] where \(Q=2n+2\).} The main technical ingredient is an \(L^1\) duality inequality for vector fields which satisfy Hörmander's condition: \textbf{Theorem.} {Let \(X_1,\dots,X_n\) be smooth real vector fields in a neighborhood of \(0\) in \({\mathbb R}^N\). Suppose that they are linearly independent at \(0\) and that their commutators of length \(\leq r\) span the tangent space at \(0\). Let \(V_j(x)\) be the span of the commutators of \(X_1,\dots,X_n\) of length \(\leq j\) at \(x\), and let \(Q\) be defined by \[ Q:=\sum_{j=1}^rjn_j,\quad n_j:=\dim V_j(0)-\dim V_{j-1}(0). \] Then there exists a neighborhood \(U\) of \(0\) and \(C>0\) such that if \[ X_1f_1+\dots +X_nf_n=g \] on \(U\), with \(f_1,\dots,f_n,g\in C^\infty_c(U)\) and \(\Phi\in C^\infty_c(U)\), then \[ \bigg| \int_Uf_1(x)\Phi(x)dx\bigg|\leq C\Big( \| f\|_{L^1(U)}\| \Phi\|_{NL^Q_1(U)}+\| g\|_{L^1(U)}\| \Phi\|_{L^Q(U)}\Big), \] where \(\| \Phi\|_{NL^Q_1(U)}=\| \nabla\Phi\|_{L^Q(U)}+ \| \Phi\|_{L^Q(U)}\) and \(\nabla_b\Phi=(X_1\Phi,\dots,X_n\Phi)\).}