The Dirichlet problem for higher order equations in composition form

Abstract

The present paper commences the study of higher order differential equations in composition form. Specifically, we consider the equation Lu=\Div B^*\nabla(a\Div A\nabla u)=0, where A and B are elliptic matrices with complex-valued bounded measurable coefficients and a is an accretive function. Elliptic operators of this type naturally arise, for instance, via a pull-back of the bilaplacian \Delta^2 from a Lipschitz domain to the upper half-space. More generally, this form is preserved under a Lipschitz change of variables, contrary to the case of divergence-form fourth order differential equations. We establish well-posedness of the Dirichlet problem for the equation Lu=0, with boundary data in L^2, and with optimal estimates in terms of nontangential maximal functions and square functions.