English

A Harnack inequality for solutions of elliptic-parabolic equations

Analysis of PDEs 2025-11-21 v4

Abstract

We want to prove a Harnack type inequality for solutions of strongly degenerate parabolic, or elliptic-parabolic, equations. To do that, we first define a De Giorgi class of order p=2p = 2 that contains the solutions of evolution equations of the types \uprho(x,t)ut+Au=0\uprho (x,t) u_t + A u = 0 and (\uprho(x,t)u)t+Au=0(\uprho (x,t) u)_t + A u = 0, where \uprho>0\uprho > 0 almost everywhere and AA is a suitable elliptic operator. For functions belonging to this class we prove an inhomogeneous parabolic Harnack inequality, i.e. a Harnack inequality that takes into account the mean value of \uprho\uprho in different regions of Ω×(0,T)\Omega \times (0,T). \\ As a consequence, thanks to an approximation result and a delicate passage to the limit, we are able to get a Harnack inequality for solutions, and in these cases only for solutions, of strongly degenerating parabolic equations, i.e. when \uprho0\uprho \geqslant 0. \\ As a byproduct one obtains H\"older continuity for solutions of a subclass of the first equation (i.e. \uprho(x,t)ut+Au=0\uprho (x,t) u_t + A u = 0): in particular the solutions of this subclass are H\"older continuous in the interface where \uprho\uprho changes its sign, from positive to zero.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2303.15357,
  title  = {A Harnack inequality for solutions of elliptic-parabolic equations},
  author = {Fabio Paronetto},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.15357},
  year   = {2025}
}