Regularity of solutions in semilinear elliptic theory (Q523633)

The paper deals with the question under which conditions the semilinear equation \[ \Delta u=f(x,u) \] has locally \(C^{1,1}\) solutions, that is, \(u\) has bounded second order derivatives. The \(C^{1,1}\) property plays an essential role in the study of the regularity of free boundaries. For the present type of semilinear equations \textit{H. Shahgholian} [Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 56, No. 2, 278--281 (2003; Zbl 1258.35098)] showed the \(C^{1,1}\) property under the conditions that \(f\) is Lipcshitz in the \(x\) variable and the derivative with respect to \(u\) is bounded from below. The authors weaken Shahgholian's regularity assumptions of \(f\), namely, they demand that \(f\) is Dini continuous in \(x\), however, they require that the Newtonian potential of \(f\) is \(C^{1,1}\). The main tool of the proof is the \(L^2\) projection of the second order derivatives onto the space of harmonic polynomials of degree less or equal to two. The authors apply their main result to two phase free boundary problems of the type \[ \Delta u= g_1(x,u)\chi_{\{u>0\}}+g_2(x,u)\chi_{\{u<0\}}, \] under the assumption that both \(g_1\) and \(g_2\) fulfill their assumption of the main result.