Some equivalent definitions of high order Sobolev spaces on stratified groups and generalizations to metric spaces (Q697377)

Let \(\Omega\subset \mathbb R^N\) be an open set, \(m\in \mathbb N^{\ast}\), \(1\leq p\leq +\infty\). The Sobolev space \(W^{m,p}(\Omega)\) is the space of functions \(f\in L^p(\Omega)\) whose derivatives \(\nabla^kf\) are in \(L^p(\Omega)\) for all \(1\leq k\leq m\). More generally, if \(\mathbb G\) is a stratified Lie group, \(X_1,...,X_l\) are left-invariant vector fields on \(\mathbb G\) and \(\Omega\subset \mathbb G\) is an open set, \(W^{m,p}(\Omega)\) is the space of functions \(f\in L^p(\Omega)\) such that \(X^{\alpha}f\in L^p(\Omega)\) for \(|\alpha|\leq m\). These Sobolev spaces were considered by \textit{G. B. Folland} and \textit{E. M. Stein} in [``Hardy spaces on homogeneous groups'', Princeton Univ. Press (1980; Zbl 0508.42025)]. Motivated by the second and third named author [Stud. Math. 142, No. 2, 101-133 (2000; Zbl 0974.46039], \textit{P. Hajlasz} [Potential Anal. 5, No. 4, 403-415 (1996; Zbl 0859.46022)], \textit{B. Franchi, P. Hajlasz} and \textit{P. Koskela} [Ann. Inst. Fourier 49, No. 6, 1903-1924 (1999; Zbl 0983.46037)], \textit{N. J. Korevaar} and \textit{R. M. Schoen} [Commun. Anal. Geom. 1, No. 4, 561-659 (1993; Zbl 0862.58004)] and \textit{B. Franchi} and the two last named authors of this article [Int. Math. Res. Not. 1996, No. 1, 1-14 (1996; Zbl 0856.43006)], the authors define Sobolev spaces of higher order on a metric measured space \((S,\rho, \mu)\), assuming that \(\mu\) is a doubling measure, that geodesics exist, using the notion of polynomials in metric spaces of homogeneous type in the sense of Coifman and Weiss. It is proved that several definitions of these Sobolev spaces are equivalent. In the case of stratified Lie groups, where polynomials exist, it is shown that these Sobolev spaces coincide with those defined by Folland and Stein.