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I'm learning elliptic PDEs and a natural question came to me. Consider a constant coefficient linear differential operator defined on the ball $B_r:=\{\sum_{k=1}^n|x_k|^2<r\}$

$$A=\sum a_\alpha\partial^\alpha$$

where

  • $\alpha=(\alpha_1,\cdots,\alpha_n)\in\mathbb{Z}^n$ is a multiindex such that $\partial^\alpha$ is defined to be $\partial_1^{\alpha_1}\cdots\partial_n^{\alpha_n}$
  • $a_\alpha\in\mathbb{R}$ are constants with depending only on the multiindex $\alpha$.

My questions

  1. if $f\in C^{\infty}(B_1)$ satisfies $$ A f=0\;\text{ in } B_1, $$ when $f$ is analytic in $B_{1/2}$?
    I know that if $A$ is $\Delta$ then the result is true, as it happens also if $A=\Delta+1$. The regularity can even apply to distribution solutions. Is the same result true also for other operators? When can we say that a distributional solution is indeed an analytic function?
  2. Similarly, if for a $C^2$ domain $\Omega$ we have $$ A f=0\;\text{ in } \Omega, $$ $$ f=g\;\text{ on } \partial\Omega, $$ where $g$ is a $C^2$ function. When can we have the $f$ is $C^2$ up to the boundary $\partial\Omega$? Again I know that if $A$ is $\Delta$ then the result is true, as it happens also if $A=\Delta+1$, and again the regularity result holds also for distribution solutions. Is the same result true also for other operators? When can we say that a distributional solution is a $C^2$ function up to the boundary?
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  • $\begingroup$ About (2) I can think of many harmonic functions in the ball which are not $C^2$ up to the boundary. When you say that this is true for the Laplacian what do you mean ? $\endgroup$ Commented Jun 30 at 22:38
  • $\begingroup$ @an_ordinary_mathematician Oh thanks for pointing out that. I've reformed the question. BasicallyI mean that if you have a harmonic function such that it is equal to a $C^k$ function on the boundary together with the condition that the boundary is smooth enough, then the function must be as smooth as the worst condition, here it is $C^k$. $\endgroup$
    – Holden Lyu
    Commented Jul 1 at 12:07

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