A weak type $(p,a)$ criterion for operators, and applications

Let $(X, d, \mu)$ be a space of homogeneous type and $\Omega$ an open subset of $X$. Given a bounded operator $T: L^p(\Omega) \to L^q(\Omega)$ for some $1 \le p \le q < \infty$, we give a criterion for $T$ to be of weak type $(p_0, a)$ for $p_0$ and $a$ such that $\frac{1}{p_0} - \frac{1}{a} = \frac{1}{p}-\frac{1}{q}$. These results are illustrated by several applications including estimates of weak type $(p_0, a)$ for Riesz potentials $L^{-\frac{\alpha}{2}}$ or for Riesz transform type operators $\nabla \Delta^{-\frac{\alpha}{2}}$ as well as $L^p-L^q$ boundedness of spectral multipliers $F(L)$ when the heat kernel of $L$ satisfies a Gaussian upper bound or an off-diagonal bound. We also prove boundedness of these operators from the Hardy space $H^1_L$ associated with $L$ into $L^a(X)$. By duality this gives boundedness from $L^{a'}(X)$ into $\text{BMO}_L$.