\(C^\infty\) regularity of solutions of the Levi equation (Q1265753)

Let \({\mathcal L}u=u_{xx}+ 2{u_y-u_xu_t\over 1+u^2_t}-2{u_x+u_yu_t \over 1+u^2_t}+{u^2_x+ u^2_y\over 1+u^2_t} u_{tt}\), and consider in an open set \(\Omega\) in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) the equation (called the Levi equation) \[ {\mathcal L}u= q^{\bigl(1+| \nabla u|^2\bigr)^{3/2}\over 1+u^2_t}\tag{*} \] which describes the curvature of a hypersurface in \(\mathbb{R}^4\) \((q\) is supposed infinitely differentiable in \(\Omega)\). As the characteristic form of this quasilinear equation is semipositive definite and has least eigenvalue zero, elliptic theory does not apply. For \(q=0\), \textit{E. Bedford} and \textit{B. Gaveau} [Am. J. Math. 105, 975-1009 (1983; Zbl 0535.32008)] gave an existence and regularity result, and if \(\Omega\) is pseudoconvex (with an additional condition on \(q)\), \textit{Z. Slodkowsky} and \textit{G. Tomassini} [J. Funct. Anal. 101, No. 2, 392-407 (1991; Zbl 0744.35015)] proved that the Dirichlet problem has at least a viscosity solution \(u\in\text{Lip}(\Omega)\). Finally the author studied [Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa, Cl. Sci., IV. Ser. 23, No. 3, 483-529 (1996; Zbl 0872.35018)] the simplified equation \[ {\mathcal L}u= q{1+|\nabla u|^2\over 1+u^2_t}\quad (q\neq 0)\tag{**} \] and proved that, if \(\alpha> {1\over 2}\) and \(u\) is a solution of (**) of class \(C^{2,\alpha}(\Omega)\), then \(u\in C^\infty(\Omega)\). In this paper, the author, using the same technique, proves the same result for any solution of (*). When \(u\in C^1\) is fixed, \({\mathcal L}u\) can be written as a sum of squares, \({\mathcal L}u=X^2u+ Y^2u-c(u)u_t\), and if \(q(\xi)=0\) for all \(\xi\in \Omega\), then \(X,Y\) and \([X,Y]\) are linearly independent at every point. The equation (*) can be written as \[ {\mathcal L}u-\mu u=0\text{ where }\mu u=q\bigl(1+ | Xu|+| Yu|^2\bigr)^{3/2} \bigl(1+| u_t|^2\bigr)^{1/2}. \] The author uses a freezing technique, and thus obtains a linear hypoelliptic operator of second order, and it is possible to write a representation formula, in terms of a fundamental solution, for functions of class \(C^{2,\alpha}_\wedge\) (where \(\wedge={\mathcal L}+u)\). One can differentiate explicitly this formula and thus get the regularity. The computations are far from being trivial.