On a degenerate heat equation with a singular potential (Q5955071)

The Cauchy problem \(u'(t)+A_au(t)=0\), \(u(0)=f\in L^2(\mathbb{R}^n)\) is well-posed in \(L^2(\mathbb{R}^n)\) when \(a\leq(\frac{n-2}{2})^2\) and it is not well-posed when \(a>( \frac{n-2}{2})^2\), where \(A_a\) denotes an appropriate self-adjoint extension of the symmetric operator \(H_a=-\Delta -\frac{a}{|x|^2}\) acting on \(C_0^\infty \mathbb{R}^n\setminus \{0\})\). \textit{P. Baras} and \textit{J. A. Goldstein} studied [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 284, 121-139 (1984; Zbl 0556.35063)] the existence of nontrivial non-negative solutions. They showed that the problem does not have nontrivial non-negative solutions when \(a>(\frac{n-2}{2})^2\), while it has non-negative weak solutions when \(a\leq(\frac{n-2}{2})^2\). In the paper under review, the authors consider the heat equation on the Heisenberg group with a particular singular potential that serves as an analogue of the inverse square potential. This heat equation is degenerate and the authors prove that it has a critical behavior with respect to the existence of nontrivial non-negative solutions. This phenomenon is due to the validity in the context of the equation and the underlying space considered, of the Hardy inequality, a scaling property, and the parabolic Harnack's inequality.