Maximal hypoellipticity for the \(\overline{\partial}\)-Neumann problem (Q2517373)

Maximal hypoellipticity, or optimal estimates, for the \(\bar{\partial}\)-Neumann problem under the condition of finite type refers to the best possible increase in regularity among various operators in the theory of the \(\bar{\partial}\)-Neumann problem. For the purposes of the considered paper, regularity is described in terms of \(L^p\)-Sobolev and Hölder estimates. Thus for instance, for a domain of finite type \(m\), the solution operator to the \(\bar{\partial}\)-Neumann problem under optimal conditions maps \(L^p_s\) to \(L^p_{s+\frac{2}{m}}\), thus exhibiting a gain of \(\frac{2}{m}\) derivatives. This paper is concerned with the question of what the weakest conditions are for which such maximal regularity is exhibited. A condition (denoted by \(D(q)\)) comparing sums of eigenvalues of the Levi matrix to its trace at a given point, was shown by \textit{A. Grigis} and \textit{L. P. Rothschild} [Am. J. Math. 110, No. 4, 577--593 (1988; Zbl 0675.35064)] to be necessary for maximal hypoellipticity of the boundary Kohn Laplacian, \(\square_b\), and the sufficiency of the condition was proved by the author of the article under review in [Am. J. Math. 124, No. 1, 129--197 (2002; Zbl 1014.32031)]. More precisely, with \(\tau\) denoting the trace of the Levi matrix associated to a smoothly bounded pseudoconvex domain \(\Omega\subset\mathbb{C}^n\), the condition \(D(q)\) for \(1\leq q\leq n-1\) is that there exists some \(\epsilon>0\) such that \(\epsilon \tau\leq \sigma_q\leq (1-\epsilon)\tau\) on \(\partial\Omega\) for all possible sums \(\sigma_q\) of \(q\) eigenvalues (see Definition 1.1 of the paper under review). The one-sided, weaker condition \(\tilde{D}(q)\) holds when there exists some \(\epsilon>0\) such that \(\epsilon \tau\leq \sigma_q\) on \(\partial\Omega\) for all possible sums \(\sigma_q\). It is condition \(\tilde{D}(q)\), which is shown in the paper under review to provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the \(\bar{\partial}\)-Neumann problem (that is, for the complex Laplacian, \(\square\)) to exhibit maximal hypoellipticity. An inverse, or parametrix, to the \(\bar{\partial}\)-Neumann problem for \(n\geq 3\) is constructed in terms of microlocalizations of various non-isotropic (NIS) operators. The NIS operators were used in [\textit{A. Nagel} et al., Ann. Math. (2) 129, No. 1, 113--149 (1989; Zbl 0667.32016)] to obtain estimates for the Bergman and Szegő operators, and later in [\textit{D. C. Chang} et al., Acta Math. 169, No. 3--4, 153--228 (1992; Zbl 0821.32011)] to obtain a parametrix for \(\square\) in the case of \(\mathbb{C}^2\). The microlocalizations in the present paper are used to work with a weaker version of subelliptic estimates determined by the condition \(\tilde{D}(q)\), namely estimates involving one special microlocal direction. Boundary operators are then shown to belong to a class of NIS operators under microlocal restrictions, the so-called MNIS operators, which can be combined with reduction to the boundary techniques (i.e., with the use of Green's and Poisson operators) to obtain a parametrix for the \(\bar{\partial}\)-Neumann problem. Estimates which yield the maximal hypoellipticity estimates are then read from estimates on the various operators in the parametrix.