Hölder estimates for parabolic obstacle problems (Q2350642)

The author studies the regularity of localizable solutions of parabolic obstacle problems of the form \[ \partial_t u - \mathrm{div}(a(\cdot) |Du|^{p-2} Du) = f - \mathrm{div}(|F|^{p-2} F) \] on bounded domains in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) for \(n \geq 2\) and \(p \geq 2\). Localizable solutions are a very weak notion of solutions of obstacle problems introduced in [\textit{C. Scheven}, Manuscr. Math. 146, No. 1--2, 7--63 (2015; Zbl 1323.35102)] which allows the treatment of irregular obstacles. It is shown that if the coefficients and the obstacles are sufficiently regular, then for some \(\alpha \in (0,1)\) the spatial gradient \(Du\) of a localizable solution of the problem is locally \(\alpha\)-Hölder continuous with respect to the space variables and locally \(\frac{\alpha}{2}\)-Hölder continuous with respect to the time variable.