The Hörmander multiplier theorem. II: The bilinear local \(L^2\) case (Q1668437)

Let \(\mathcal{S}(\mathbb{R}^d)\) be the Schwartz space of all rapidly decreasing smooth functions on \(\mathbb{R}^d\) for some \(d \in \mathbb{Z}^{+}\). The multilinear Fourier multiplier operator \(T_{\sigma}\) associated with a symbol \(\sigma\) is defined by \[ T_{\sigma}^m(f_1, \cdots, f_m)(x) = \int_{\mathbb{R}^{mn}} {\sigma}(\xi) \widehat{f_1}(\xi_1) \cdots \widehat{f_m}(\xi_m) e^{2\pi i x \cdot \xi} \, d\xi_1 \cdots \xi_m \] for \(\xi = (\xi_1, \dots, \xi_m)\), \(f_i \in \mathcal{S}(\mathbb{R}^n)\) and \(i = 1, \dots, m\). Let \(L_s^r(\mathbb{R}^d)\) be the \(L^r\)-based Sobolev space with norm \[ \|f\|_{L_s^r} := \| (1-\Delta)^{s/2}f \|_{L^r(\mathbb{R}^d)} < \infty, \] where \(\Delta\) is the Laplacian. In this paper the authors consider how the minimal smoothness \(s\) interplays with the range of \(p's\) on which boundedness is expected in the bilinear operator \(T_{\sigma}^2\). In the linear case it is known that the condition \(|1/2-1/p| < s/n\) and \(rs > n\) imply \(L^p(\mathbb{R}^n)\) boundedness of \(T_{\sigma}^1\) for \(1 < p < \infty\). In the bilinear case the minimal smoothness problem was studied in [\textit{N. Tomita}, J. Funct. Anal. 259, No. 8, 2028--2044 (2010; Zbl 1201.42005); \textit{L. Grafakos} et al., Can. J. Math. 65, No. 2, 299--330 (2013; Zbl 1275.42016); \textit{A. Miyachi} and \textit{N. Tomita}, Rev. Mat. Iberoam. 29, No. 2, 495--530 (2013; Zbl 1275.42017)] for \(r =2\) and in [\textit{L. Grafakos} and \textit{Z. Si}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 668, 133--147 (2012; Zbl 1254.42017)] for \(1 < r \leq 2\). Here they show the \(L^2(\mathbb{R}^n) \times L^2(\mathbb{R}^n) \rightarrow L^1(\mathbb{R}^n)\) boundedness of \(T_{\sigma}^2\) under minimal smoothness conditions \(s > \max\{n/2, 2n/r\}\) with \(1< r < \infty\) when the multiplier \(\sigma\) lies in the Sobolev space \(L_s^r(\mathbb{R}^n)\) uniformly over all annuli. They also provide counterexamples to obtain necessary conditions for the \(m\)-linear multiplier operator \(T_{\sigma}^m\). For part I, see [\textit{L. Grafakos} et al., Ill. J. Math. 61, No. 1--2, 25--35 (2017; Zbl 1395.42025)].