Oblique boundary value problems for augmented Hessian equations. I (Q1656843)

The authors study global regularity for oblique boundary value problems of augmented Hessian equations of the form \[ \mathcal F [u]:= F[D^2 u - A(\cdot, u, Du)] = B(\cdot, u, Du) \] in a bounded domain \(\Omega \subset {\mathbb R}^n\) with smooth boundary \(\partial \Omega\), subject to boundary conditions \[ \mathcal G [u] := G(\cdot, u, Du)\quad \text{\(\partial \Omega\)}. \] Here \(Du\) and \(D^2u\) denote the gradient vector and the Hessian matrix of the solution \(u \in C^2(\Omega)\), \(A\) is an \(n \times n\) symmetric matrix function defined on \(\Omega \times {\mathbb R}\times {\mathbb R}^n\), \(B\) is a scalar function on \(\Omega \times {\mathbb R}\times {\mathbb R}^n\) and \(G\) is a scalar function defined on \(\partial\Omega \times {\mathbb R}\times {\mathbb R}^n\). The function \(F\) is defined on an open convex cone with vertex at \(0\) containing the positive cone in the linear space of \(n\times n\) symmetric matrices satisfying appropriate convexity. For \(G \in C^1(\partial\Omega \times {\mathbb R}\times {\mathbb R}^n)\), the boundary condtion is said to be oblique if \(G_p\cdot \nu >0\) for all of \(\partial\Omega \times {\mathbb R}\times {\mathbb R}^n\), where \(\nu\) is the unit inner normal vector field on \(\partial \Omega\). First, the authors obtain a local/global second derivative estimate which extends the Monge-Ampère case in [\textit{X.-N. Ma} et al., Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 177, No. 2, 151--183 (2005; Zbl 1072.49035)]. More precisely, assuming a natural convexity condition of the domain together with appropriate convexity conditions on the matrix function \(F\) in the augmented Hessian, the authors show that if \(u \in C^4(\Omega)\) is an admissible solution of the augmented Hessian equation, then for any domains \(\Omega'\subset\subset \Omega_0\) in \({\mathbb R}^n\), \(A \in C^2(\overline\Omega\times {\mathbb R}\times {\mathbb R}^n)\) is strictly regular in \(\overline \Omega \cap \Omega_0\), and if \(B \in C^2(\overline\Omega \cap \Omega_0 \times {\mathbb R}\times {\mathbb R}^n)\), \(B > a_0\), then \[ \sup_{\Omega \cap \Omega'} |D^2u| \leq \sup_{\partial\Omega \cap \Omega_0} |D^2u| +C. \] Recall that the matrix function \(A\) is called strictly regular at \(x \in \overline\Omega\) if \(A\) satisfies \[A^{kl}_{ij}(x,z, p) \xi_i \xi_j \eta_k\eta_l >0\] for all \(\xi, \eta \in {\mathbb R}^n\), \(\xi \perp \eta\), where \(A^{kl}_{ij} = D^2_{p_kp_l}A_{ij}\). In the case \(\Omega' = \Omega\), the estimate provides a global estimate which reduces the bound for the second derivative to the boundary. When \(\Omega_0 = \Omega\), we can get the usual form of the interior estimate, which is already formulated for some case in [\textit{N. S. Trudinger}, in: Proceedings of the international congress of mathematicians (ICM), Madrid, Spain, August 22--30, 2006. Volume III: Invited lectures. Zürich: European Mathematical Society (EMS). 291--301 (2006; Zbl 1130.35058)]. Second, assuming appropriate geometric assumptions on the domain \(\Omega\) which provides a boundary estimate for the solutions \(u \in C^4(\Omega)\cap C^3(\overline{\Omega})\), the authors prove the following global second derivative bound \[ \sup_\Omega |D^2 u| \leq C. \] The authors also show a gradient estimate for the solutions \( u\in C^4(\Omega)\cap C^3(\overline{\Omega})\) under further conditions on \(A\) or \(F\). Finally, applying the second derivative estimate and the gradient estimate, the authors obatin the existence of smooth solutions \(u \in C^{3, \alpha}(\overline{\Omega})\) to the oblique boundary value problem of the augmented Hessian equation.