Nonlocal maximum principles for active scalars (Q549211)

The author develops the idea of nonlocal maximum principle for active scalars. Active scalars are functions \(\theta \left( x,t\right) \) which satisfy \[ \theta _t=u\cdot \nabla \theta -\left( -\Delta \right) ^\alpha \theta ,\,\,\,\,\,\theta \left( x,0\right) =\theta _0\left( x\right), \] where \(0\leq \alpha \leq 1\), and the vector \(u\) is determined by \(\theta\). Such functions appear in many problems coming from fluid mechanics. The classical examples are: 1) the 2D Euler equation in the vorticity form, where \(u=\nabla ^{\perp }\left( -\Delta \right) ^{-1}\theta ;\) 2) Burgers equation, where \(u=\theta ;\) 3) 2D surface quasi-geostrophic (SQG) equation, where \(u=\nabla ^{\perp }\left( -\Delta \right) ^{-1/2}\theta ;\) 4) modified SQG equation, where \(u=\nabla ^{\perp }\left( -\Delta \right) ^{-\gamma }\theta ,1/2<\gamma <1\). Starting from the nonlocal maximum principle introduced in [\textit{A. Kiselev}, \textit{F. Nazarov} and \textit{A. Volberg}, Invent. Math. 167, No. 3, 445--453 (2007; Zbl 1121.35115)], the author generalizes this method and provides new applications such as the eventual regularization of the solutions to supercritical Burgers, SQG and modified SQG equations.