Three-spheres theorem for second order elliptic equations (Q1899787)

The author establishes a number of generalizations of the Hadamard three-circles theorem to solutions of second-order linear elliptic equations \[ G^{jk}(x) \partial_j \partial_k u+ b^j(x) \partial_j u+ c(x)u= 0,\tag{\(*\)} \] i.e. inequalities of the type \(|u|_r\leq |u|^\alpha_{r_1} |u|^{1- \alpha}_{r_2}\), where \(0< r_1< r< r_2\), \(u\) is a \(C^2\)-solution of \((*)\) in a (small) ball \(|x|\leq r_2\), and \(|\;|_\rho\) is the \(L^2\) or \(L^\infty\) norm on the ball \(|x|\leq \rho\). Here, \(C\geq 1\) and \(\alpha\) depends on \((*)\) and \(r_1\), \(r_2\), \(r\). The results presented overlap (and partially contain) previous ones by \textit{E. M. Landis} [Russ. Math. Surv. 18, No. 1, 1-62 (1963); translation from Usp. Mat. Nauk 18, No. 1(109), 3-62 (1963; Zbl 0125.05802)], \textit{S. Agmon} [Unicité et convexité dans les problèmes différentiels (1966; Zbl 0147.07702)], and \textit{J. Korevaar} and \textit{J. L. N. Meyers} (to appear). The author also looks at the case of harmonic functions on a Riemannian manifold, where the constants \(C\) and \(\alpha\) also depend on geometrical data like curvature etc., and obtains some results in special cases of such manifolds. In a concluding section, the property ``propagation of smallness'' is discussed by means of these 3-spheres-theorems, and thereby given a more quantitative formulation.