Reducibility of first order linear operators on tori via Moser's theorem

Abstract

In this paper we prove reducibility of classes of linear first order operators on tori by applying a generalization of Moser's theorem on straightening of vector fields on a torus. We consider vector fields which are a $C^\infty$ perturbations of a constant vector field, and prove that they are conjugated --by a $C^\infty$ torus diffeomorphism-- to a constant diophantine flow, provided that the perturbation is small in some given $H^{s_1}$ norm and that the initial frequency is in some Cantor-like set. Actually in the classical results of this type the regularity of the change of coordinates which straightens the perturbed vector field coincides with the class of regularity in which the perturbation is required to be small. This improvement is achieved thanks to ideas and techniques coming from the Nash-Moser theory.