A note on necessary conditions of hypoellipticity for some classes of differential operators with double characteristics (Q1591521)

The author considers the following operator of Grushin type: \[ P= (D_x- aix^k D_y) (D_x- bix^k D_y)+ cx^{k-1} D_y, \] where \(k\) is a positive integer, \(a,b,c\in\mathbb{C}\) with \(\text{Re }a\neq 0\), \(\text{Re }b\neq 0\). The operator \(P\) was first studied by \textit{A. Gilioli} and \textit{F. Trèves} [Am. J. Math. 96, 367-385 (1974; Zbl 0308.35022)] when \(k\) is odd, and by \textit{A. Menikoff} [Math. Ann. 221, 167-181 (1976; Zbl 0323.35019)] when \(k\) is even; in particular the hypoellipticity of \(P\) turns out to depend on the parameter \(c\) when \(\text{Re }a\) and \(\text{Re }b\) have opposite sign. Here, the author constructs explicitly a non-smooth function \(K(x,y)\) such that \(PK= 0\) in the non-hypoelliptic case, or else \(PK=\delta\), giving a fundamental solution at the origin in the hypoelliptic case. The expression of \(K(x,y)\) involves real powers of polynomials in \(x\) and \(y\); the remarkable computations evaluating the possible singularity of \(PK\) at the origin refer integrals of real powers of trigonometric functions.