The LIR method. \(L^{r}\) solutions of elliptic equation in a complete Riemannian manifold (Q2318038)

This paper deals with the equation \(Du=\omega\), where \(D\) is a general linear elliptic operator of order \(m\) with \(C^\infty\) coefficients, acting on sections of \(G= (H,\pi,M)\), a complex vector bundle over \(M\). The author provides a way which allows to get from local a priori estimates on solutions \(u\) of \(Du=\omega\) on \(M\) global ones. This is the so-called local increasing regularity (LIR) method. It enables him to obtain a \(L^r\) generalization of some previus results of \textit{F. Warner} [Foundations of differentiable manifolds and Lie groups. New York etc.: Springer-Verlag. (1983; Zbl 0516.58001)] and \textit{S. Donaldson} [in: Handbook of geometric analysis. No. 1. Somerville, MA: International Press; Beijing: Higher Education Press. 29--75 (2008; Zbl 1161.53066)], done for \(L^2\). More precisely, it is shown that if \(D:G\to G\) is an elliptic operator of order \(m\), \(\omega\in L^r_G(M)\cap (\ker D^*)^\perp\), \(r\ge 2\), then there exists \(u\in L^{m,r}_G(M)\) (the latter being the classical Sobolev space) such that \(Du=\omega\) on \(M\). If \(M\) is a smooth compact Riemannian manifold with smooth boundary \(\partial M\) and \(D\) has the weak maximum property, then, for each \(\omega\in L^r_G(M)\), there exists a form \(u\in W^{m,r}_G(M)\) for which \(Du=\omega\). This result is obtained by using the ``Riemannian double manifold''. At the end of the paper the more complicated case of a complete non-compact connected Riemannian manifold without boundary is studied. In this case adapted weights are used.