Gevrey regularity of Gevrey vectors of second-order partial differential operators with non-negative characteristic form (Q830701)

The problem of the iterates questions the possibility of the characterization of the analyticity of a function $f$ in terms of powers of a linear partial differential operator $P$. Namely, one assumes factorial estimates for the $P$-vector of $f$, defined by application to $f$ of the powers of $P$, and aims to deduce analytic or Gevrey regularity for $f$. A positive result in this direction was first obtained by \textit{T. Kotake} and \textit{M. S. Narasimhan} [Bull. Soc. Math. Fr. 90, 449--471 (1962; Zbl 0104.32503)] for elliptic operators $P$. In the non-elliptic case the problem is largely open, see [\textit{P. Bolley} et al., Rend. Semin. Mat., Torino 45, No. 3, 1--61 (1987; Zbl 0701.35055)] and [\textit{M. Derridj}, Complex Var. Elliptic Equ. 62, No. 10, 1474--1491 (2017; Zbl 1370.35089)] for a large survey on the existing results. In the present paper the author considers elliptic-degenerate second order operators $P$ with real non-negative characteristic form. Relevant examples are given by the so-called sum of squares operators. The author introduces an integer $i(P)$, named the type of $P$, defined in terms of commutators. In the case $i(P)=2$, it coincides with the rank of the Lie algebra generated by the vector fields for sum of squares operators. The main result of the paper is the following: if the $P$-vector of $f$ is Gevrey of class $s$, then $f$ is Gevrey of class $t=i(P)s$.