Maximal $$L_p$$-regularity for x-dependent fractional heat equations with Dirichlet conditions

Abstract We prove optimal regularity results in $$L_p$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>L</mml:mi> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:math> -based function spaces in space and time for a large class of linear parabolic equations with a nonlocal elliptic operator in bounded domains with limited smoothness. Here the nonlocal operator is given by a strongly elliptic and even pseudodifferential operator P of order 2 a ( $$0&lt;a&lt;1$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> <mml:mo>&lt;</mml:mo> <mml:mi>a</mml:mi> <mml:mo>&lt;</mml:mo> <mml:mn>1</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> ) with nonsmooth x -dependent coefficients. This includes the prominent case of the fractional Laplacian $$(-\Delta )^a$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mi>Δ</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>a</mml:mi> </mml:msup> </mml:math> , as well as elliptic operators $$(-\nabla \cdot A(x)\nabla +b(x))^a$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msup> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mo>-</mml:mo> <mml:mi>∇</mml:mi> <mml:mo>·</mml:mo> <mml:mi>A</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>x</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>∇</mml:mi> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mi>b</mml:mi> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>x</mml:mi> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mo>)</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> <mml:mi>a</mml:mi> </mml:msup> </mml:math> . The proofs are based on general results on maximal $$L_p$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:msub> <mml:mi>L</mml:mi> <mml:mi>p</mml:mi> </mml:msub> </mml:math> -regularity and its relation to $$\mathcal {R}$$ <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"> <mml:mi>R</mml:mi> </mml:math> -boundedness of the resolvent of the associated (elliptic) operator. Finally, we apply these results to show existence of strong solutions locally in time for a class of nonlinear nonlocal parabolic equations, which include a fractional nonlinear diffusion equation and a fractional porous medium equation after a transformation. The nonlinear results are new in the case of domains with boundary; the linear results are so when P is x -dependent nonsymmetric.