Everywhere-regularity for some quasilinear systems with a lack of ellipticity (Q793220)

The author proves the \(C^{1,\alpha}\)-everywhere-regularity of the solutions of quasilinear systems having a similar structure as \(div\{| \nabla u|^{p-2}\nabla u\}=f (1<p<\infty)\). He generalizes results due to \textit{K. Uhlenbeck} [Acta Math. 138, 219-240 (1977; Zbl 0372.35030)] and \textit{P.-A. Ivert} [Manuscr. Math. 30, 53-88 (1979; Zbl 0429.35033)]. After a differentiation, the above system is not of diagonal form. Nevertheless, K. Uhlenbeck showed that \(| \nabla u|\) satisfies an inequality similar to \(-\Delta | \nabla u|^ 2+\lambda | \nabla^ 2u|^ 2\leq 0 (\lambda>0)\). With the aid of such an inequality, she established a strong maximum principle for \(\nabla u\) which is the key to the everywhere-regularity. The author gives another rather simple proof of that and he treats more general systems than in the article loc. cit.