Strict $2$-convexity of convex solutions to the quadratic Hessian equation

Abstract

We prove that convex viscosity solutions to the quadratic Hessian inequality $\sigma_2(D^2u) \geq 1$ are strictly $2$-convex. As a consequence we obtain short proofs of smoothness and interior $C^2$ estimates for convex viscosity solutions to $\sigma_2(D^2u) = 1$, which were proven using different methods in recent works of Guan-Qiu \cite{GQ}, McGonagle-Song-Yuan \cite{MSY} and Shankar-Yuan \cite{SY2}.