Let $2\le k\le n$, let $\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^n$ be open and convex, and let $u$ be a convex viscosity solution of $\sigma_k(D^2u)=1$ in $\Omega$. We prove that the set on which $u$ fails to be locally $C^2$ has vanishing $(n-1)$-dimensional Hausdorff measure. In the intermediate range $3\le k<n$, this gives a codimension-one refinement of the known almost-everywhere partial regularity, and the exponent is sharp. More generally, for a convex viscosity subsolution of $\sigma_k(D^2u)\ge\lambda>0$, we obtain Hausdorff bounds for strata defined by the affine dimension of all supporting contact sets. The proof combines a support-dependent Chou--Wang barrier argument, an estimate for the product of the smallest $k$ semiaxes of a John ellipsoid, and Mooney's convex section-covering theorem. As a direct analytical consequence, the full distributional Hessian is absolutely continuous and $u\in W^{2,1}_{\mathrm{loc}}(\Omega)$, yielding a $k$-Hessian counterpart of the $W^{2,1}$ regularity known for singular Monge--Amp\`ere solutions. In a logically separate structural part, we characterize the distinguished number of flat directions, $n-k+1$, by an asymptotic infimum mean-value formula over affine sections, and explain how this mean-value heuristic leads to the supporting-contact geometry used in the proof.
Let $X=G/K$ be a symmetric space of noncompact type, of dimension $n$ and rank $r$, and let $Y=\Gamma\backslash X$. Sarnak's local bound for an $L^2$-normalized spherical joint eigenfunction with regular tempered parameter of size $T$ is $\|\phi\|_\infty\ll T^{(n-r)/2}$. We prove $o(T^{(n-r)/2})$ locally uniformly on every quotient. On finite-volume real hyperbolic manifolds this is uniform in the expanding cusp range $y\leq T^\beta$, $\beta<1/2$. If the injectivity radius is bounded below, we prove the global estimate $T^{(n-r)/2}(\log T)^{-r/2}$.
Let $Q\geq 1$ be large, and $\delta \in(0,1)$ be small. Denote by $\mathcal C \subset \mathbb R^3$ a sufficiently smooth curve with non-vanishing curvature and torsion. How many rational points $\mathbf{a}/q$ of height $q\in[Q,2Q]$ are $\delta/q$-near $\mathcal C$? This manuscript provides an essentially optimal answer. We show that the folklore conjectures are incorrect for certain manifolds with codimension $\ge 2$, including the moment curve $(t,t^2,t^3)$. The reason is a hitherto hidden `major arc'type obstruction. We also establish matching upper bounds (up to endpoints). Our argument combines purely Fourier analytical techniques with the planar counting results by Vaughan--Velani.
Mingfeng Chen, A. Seeger, Rajula Srivastava et al.· 1 citation
Let $n\ge2$ and let $u$ be a smooth 2-convex and semi-convex solution of \[ \frac{\sigma _2(D^2u)}{\sigma _1(D^2u)}=f(x). \] We prove an interior Hessian estimate depending on the Lipschitz norm of $f$. The proof combines the integral approach of Chen--Jian--Zhou with the algebraic reduction of the quotient equation to a $\sigma _2$ structure. The main new point is a shifted algebraic inequality that yields a shifted trace Jacobi inequality in divergence form for $\log(\Delta u+a)$. We work with the linearized operator $G=(\Delta u-f)I-D^2u$ of the equivalent equation $\sigma_2(D^2u)=f \Delta u$. The almost divergence-free identity \(\partial_iG_{ij}=-f_j\) enables us to control the \(\Delta f\) term by integration by parts solely in terms of the Lipschitz norm of \(f\). A Legendre--Lewy transformation converts the resulting degenerate divergence-form equation into a uniformly elliptic one. The estimate then follows from a mean-value inequality together with a weighted energy argument. As an application, in dimension two we obtain interior $C^2$ regularity for convex viscosity solutions with positive Lipschitz right-hand side. Moreover, our counterexamples show that the Lipschitz regularity required of the right-hand side is optimal.
For a smooth, complete and normal metric $g = e^{2u}|dx|^2$ with finite total $n$-th order $Q$-curvature on $\mathbb{R}^n$ with dimension $n \geq 2$, we first show that everywhere non-negativity (resp. non-positivity) $n$-th order $Q$-curvature $Q_g^{(n)}$ implies everywhere non-negativity (resp. non-positivity) of the sectional curvature. Based on this fact, we secondly show that, once $Q_g^{(n)}$ is non-negative, then for any compact domain $\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^n$ with smooth boundary $\partial\Omega$, the following sharp isoperimetric inequality holds: $$|\partial\Omega|_g^{\frac{n}{n-1}} \geq n^{\frac{n}{n-1}} |\mathbb{B}^n|^{\frac{1}{n-1}} \left(1 - \frac{2}{(n-1)!\,|\mathbb{S}^n|} \int_{\mathbb{R}^n} Q_g^{(n)} \, d\mu_g\right) |\Omega|_g.$$ The third claim in this article is that, if the $n$-th order $Q$-curvature, $Q_g^{(n)}$, is non-positive and under the main assumption that Cartan-Hadamard conjecture holds true, then we have the sharp inequality $$|\partial\Omega|_g^{\frac{n}{n-1}} \geq n^{\frac{n}{n-1}} |\mathbb{B}^n|^{\frac{1}{n-1}}|\Omega|_g.$$
Let $S^n$ be the unit round sphere with its intrinsic angular metric, normalized so that $\operatorname{diam}S^n=\pi$. For finite homogeneous metric spaces $X$, put \[ \delta_n=\inf_X d_{GH}(X,S^n). \] The main open problem is whether $\inf_{n\ge2}\delta_n>0$. Gelander's theorem gives $\delta_n>0$ in each fixed dimension, but not uniformly. An abstract cross-polytope construction gives the universal upper bound $\delta_n\le\pi/4$. In the opposite direction, ChatGPT combines the passage from small Gromov--Hausdorff error to an approximate finite action on the sphere, logarithmic stability of approximate inner-product-preserving maps due to Cuesta, operator-norm stability of almost representations, and Green's width theorem for finite transitive sets. This gives the quantitative bound \[ \delta_n\ge \frac{c}{(1+\log(n+1))^2} \] for all sufficiently large $n$.
We study global regularity of solutions to Dirichlet or Neumann elliptic problems in spherical sectors $S_{D,R}$ of radius $R>0$ in $\mathbb{R}^N, N\ge 2$, where $D$ is the bounded domain on the unit sphere $\mathbb{S}^{N-1}$ which spans the spherical sector. One of the main results shows that boundedness of the gradient of the solutions of Poisson equations holds whenever $\lambda_1(D)\ge N-1$, where $\lambda_1(D)$ is the first nontrivial eigenvalue of the Laplace Beltrami operator $-\Delta_{\mathbb{S}^{N-1}}$ on the domain $D$ with Dirichlet or Neumann boundary conditions on $\partial D$. As an example of Maz'ya shows, the condition on the eigenvalue is sharp. For general spherical sectors and for $p$-Laplacian equations, $p>1$ we prove weighted global lipschitzianity of the solutions, as well as second order regularity.
Carlo Alberto Antonini, F. Pacella, Camilla Chiara Polvara et al.· 0 citations