Distributions, partial differential equations, and harmonic analysis (Q5891084)

The monograph under consideration aims at a thorough introduction to ideas and techniques of distribution theory with application to partial differential equations. The book is self-contained and may also be used for independent study. Accordingly, the book starts from scratch, motivating the basic features and ideas of distribution theory by adequate examples. Also, many exercises are provided to work in practice with the concepts developed so far. In the first two chapters, the basic theory of distributions is presented, starting with the idea of a weak derivative. Then the spaces of test functions and distributions are introduced, including the corresponding notions of convergent sequences and (sequential) continuity. Here and in the following, the necessary topological background is shifted to the appendix, that is, the reader can use the corresponding ``facts'' as definitions and proceed without difficulty. Then the theory of tensor products and convolution of distributions is developed. Chapters 3 and 4 are devoted to the study of Fourier transformations and tempered distributions, including homogeneous distributions and principal value distributions and their Fourier transform as well as a general jump formula for tempered distributions. Chapter 4 ends with a detailed discussion of the harmonic Poisson kernel and, correspondingly, of singular integral operators of convolution type. After having pushed the introduction of distribution theory and corresponding operators so far, the author turns to the study of tempered fundamental solutions (with special emphasis put on explicit formulas) for the rest of the volume. The Malgrange-Ehrenpreis theorem is proved in Chapter 5. Surprisingly, a hint to the elementary corresponding formula of \textit{P. Wagner} [Am. Math. Mon. 116, No. 5, 457--462 (2009; Zbl 1229.35007)] is missing here. Hypoelliptic differential operators are characterized by the regularity of their elementary solutions, while Hörmander's characterization of these polynomials is only mentioned. Finally, integral representation formulas for solutions of hypoelliptic differential operators are presented. In Chapters 7--11, explicit formulas for tempered fundamental solutions of classical partial differential equations and systems are worked out in detail, including the Laplacian, the bi-Laplacian, the polyharmonic operator, the Dirac operator, the heat operator and the wave operator. These results are always accompanied by applications to analytical problems such as layer potential formulas, the Poisson problem (with boundary conditions at infinity) and the Cauchy problem, respectively. Chapters 10 and 11 are devoted to fundamental solutions for systems of partial differential operators including the Lamé and the Stokes operator. The monograph ends with a chapter containing solutions to selected exercises and an appendix gathering background material originating outside the scope of the book. In conclusion, the first part of this book is an excellent and carefully written introduction to the ideas and first applications of distribution theory which can be recommended for self-study for graduate students, while the second part contains a great variety of explicit formulas for tempered fundamental solutions interesting for the specialists in that area.