Kufner's conjecture for higher order Hardy inequalities (Q1374534)

The author investigates the weighted Hardy inequality \[ \Big (\int _0^1|u(x)|^qw_0(x) dx\Big)^{1/q}\leq C\Big (\int _0^1|u^{(k)}(x)|^pw_k(x) dx\Big)^{1/p} \tag{1} \] where the order of the derivative \(k\) is a fixed positive integer; \(w_0\) and \(w_k\) are non-negative weight functions; \(1<p<\infty \), \(0<q<\infty \); the constant \(C\) is independent of the function \(u\) belonging to the certain class \(\mathcal M\). To define this class, put \(N_i=\{0,1,\dots ,i-1\}\) and fix subsets \(M_0, M_1\subset N_k\) such that \(|M_0|+|M_1|=k\) (where \(|M|\) denotes the number of elements of the set \(|M|\)). Then \(u\in \mathcal M=\mathcal M(M_0,M_1)\) if \(u\) is a solution of the following boundary value problem (BVP): \[ u^{(k)}=f;\quad u^{(i)}(0)=0 \text{for \(i\in M_0\)},\quad u^{(i)}(1)=0 \text{for \(i\in M_1\)} \tag{2} \] for some locally integrable function \(f\). It has been known that (1) is meaningful if and only if the pair \((M_0,M_1)\) satisfies the \textit{Pólya condition}, \[ |M_0\cap N_i|+|M_1\cap N_i|\geq i,\quad i=1,2,\dots ,k, \tag{3} \] moreover, in this case BVP (2) can be uniquely solved, i.e. there exists the Green function \(G(x,t)\) such that \(u(x)=\int _0^1G(x,t)f(t) dt\) [see \textit{P. Drábek} and \textit{A. Kufner}, Bayreuther Math. Schr. 47, 99-104 (1994; Zbl 0818.26010)]. \textit{A. Kufner} [Real Anal. Exch. 21, No. 1, 380-381 (1996; Zbl 0869.34021); Bayreuther Math. Schr. 44, 105-146 (1993; Zbl 0785.26010)] conjectured a connection between the Green function \(G(x,t)\) and the weight characterization for the inequality (1). The author verifies this conjecture and thereby completes the proof of the weight characterization for (1).