An optimal theorem for the spherical maximal operator on the Heisenberg group (Q1769176)

Let \({\mathbb H}^{n} ={\mathbb C}^{n} \times {\mathbb R}^{n}\) be the \((2n+1)\)-dimensional Heisenberg group with group law \[ (z,t)(w,s)=(z+w, t+s+\frac{1}{2}{\text{ Im}} z\cdot \bar{w}). \] Given a function \(f\) on \({\mathbb H}^n\), consider the spherical means \[ f*\mu_r(z,t)=\int_{|w|=r}f(z-w,t-\frac{1}{2}{\text{ Im}}z\cdot {\bar w}) d\mu_r(w) \] where \(\mu_r\) is the normalised surface measure on the sphere \(S_r=\{ (z,0): |z|=r \}\) of radius \(r\) in \({\mathbb H}^n\). Let \(Mf =\sup_{r>0}|f*\mu_r|\). The authors prove an optimal \(L^p\)-boundedness result for the spherical maximal function \(Mf\). \textbf{Theorem. } Let \(n \geq 2\). Then the maximal operator Mf is bounded on \(L^p({\mathbb H}^n)\) if and only if \(p > 2n/(2n-1)\). The above theorem is an analogue of the spherical maximal theorem of \textit{E. M. Stein} and \textit{S. Wainger} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 84, 1239--1295 (1978; Zbl 0393.42010)] and has been recently proved by \textit{D. Mueller} and \textit{A. Seeger} [Israel J. Math. 141, 315--340 (2004; Zbl 1054.22007)] using the Fourier integral operator. Actually, they have extended the theorem to a more general setting of surfaces and to a class of step two nilpotent groups including all \(H\)-type groups. The authors' proof of the theorem does not appeal to the theory of Fourier integral operators.