A boundary estimate for non-negative solutions to Kolmogorov operators in non-divergence form (Q666276)

From the authors' abstract: The authors consider non-negative solutions to a class of second-order degenerate Kolmogorov operators of the form \[ \mathcal{L} = \sum_{i,j=1}^{m} a_{i,j}(z)\partial_{x_{i}x_{j}} + \sum_{i=1}^{m} a_{i}(z)\partial_{x\_{i}} + \sum_{i,j=1}^{N} b_{i,j}x_{i} \partial_{x_{j}} - \partial_{t}, \] where \(z = (x,t)\) belongs to an open set \(\Omega \subset {\mathbb{R}}^{N} \times \mathbb{R}\), and \(1 \leq m \leq N\). Let \(\tilde z \in \Omega\), let \(K\) be a compact subset of \(\overline\Omega\), and let \(\Sigma \subset \partial\Omega\) be such that \(K \cap \partial\Omega \subset \Sigma\). The authors give sufficient geometric conditions for the validity of the following Carleson type estimate. There exists a positive constant \(C_K\), depending only on \(\Omega\), \(\Sigma\), \(K\), \(\tilde z\) and on \(\mathcal{L}\), such that \[ \sup_{K} u \leq C_{K} u(\tilde z) \] for every non-negative solution \(u\) of \(\mathcal{L}u = 0\) in \(\Omega\) such that \(u_{|\Sigma} = 0\). This paper is part of a sequel of papers devoted to a complete analysis of the boundary behaviour of nonnegative solutions to operators of Kolmogorov type [\textit{M. di Francesco, A. Pascucci} and the third author, Proc. R. Soc. Lond., Ser. A, Math. Phys. Eng. Sci. 464, No. 2089, 155--176 (2008; Zbl 1137.35017); \textit{M. Frentz} et al., Math. Ann. 347, No. 4, 805--838 (2010; Zbl 1200.35307); the second author, \textit{A. Pascucci} and the third author, J. Differ. Equations 249, No. 8, 2044--2060 (2010; Zbl 1205.35345)].