\(W^{1,p(\cdot)}\)-regularity for elliptic equations with measurable coefficients in nonsmooth domains (Q2249772)

Let \(\Omega\) be a bounded domain in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) for \(n \geq 2\) and \(\mathbf{A}: \Omega \to \mathbb{R}^{n \times n}\) measurable, uniformly elliptic and bounded. The authors consider the following elliptic equation in divergence form with Dirichlet boundary conditions: \[ \text{div}(\mathbf{A}(x)Du) = \text{div} F \qquad \text{in } \Omega, \] \[ u = 0 \qquad \text{on } \partial\Omega. \] Let \(L^{p(\cdot)}(\Omega; \mathbb{R}^n)\) be a variable exponent Lebesgue space for some log-Hölder continuous \(p: \Omega \to (1, \infty)\) with \(p(x) \in [\gamma_1, \gamma_2]\) for some real constants \(1 < \gamma_1 < \gamma_2 < \infty\). The authors prove under very general conditions on \(\mathbf{A}\) and \(\partial \Omega\) (\(\partial \Omega\) is allowed to be beyond the Lipschitz category) that for \(F \in L^{p(\cdot)}(\Omega; \mathbb{R}^n)\) the weak solution \(u\) of the above problem satisfies \(Du \in L^{p(\cdot)}(\Omega; \mathbb{R}^n)\). More precisely, it is assumed that \(\mathbf{A}\) is locally in a small BMO-space with respect to \(n-1\) variables and that \(\Omega\) is \(\delta\)-Reifenberg flat. In the usual \(L^p\)-setting, i.e.\ \(p(x)\) is constant, analogous results have already been established in [\textit{S.-S. Byun} and \textit{L. Wang}, Adv. Math. 225, No. 5, 2648--2673 (2010; Zbl 1198.35068)] and [\textit{H. Dong} and \textit{D. Kim}, SIAM J. Math. Anal. 43, No. 3, 1075--1098 (2011; Zbl 1230.35045)].