The Neumann problem for higher order elliptic equations with symmetric coefficients

Abstract

In this paper we establish well posedness of the Neumann problem with boundary data in $L^2$ or the Sobolev space $\dot W^2_{-1}$, in the half space, for linear elliptic differential operators with coefficients that are constant in the vertical direction and in addition are self adjoint. This generalizes the well known well-posedness result of the second order case and is based on a higher order and one sided version of the classic Rellich identity, and is the first known well posedness result for a higher order operator with rough variable coefficients and boundary data in a Lebesgue or Sobolev space.