Fractional Parabolic Theory as a High-Dimensional Limit of Fractional Elliptic Theory

Abstract

This paper continues the program that was initiated in \cite{Dav18} and continued in \cite{DSVG24}, where a high-dimensional limiting technique was developed and used to prove certain parabolic theorems from their elliptic counterparts. The articles \cite{Dav18} and \cite{DSVG24} address the constant-coefficient and variable-coefficient settings, respectively. Here, we focus on fractional operators. As shown in \cite{CS07}, \cite{NS16}, \cite{ST17}, fractional operators may be associated with certain degenerate operators via extension problems, so we study the corresponding class of degenerate operators. Our high-dimensional limiting technique is demonstrated through new proofs of three theorems for degenerate parabolic equations. Specifically, we establish the monotonicity of Almgren-type, Weiss-type, and Alt-Caffarelli-Friedman-type functionals in the degenerate parabolic setting. Each new parabolic proof in this article is based on a (new) related elliptic theorem and a careful limiting argument that is reminiscent of those from \cite{Dav18} and \cite{DSVG24}. Our proof of the degenerate parabolic Weiss-type monotonicity formula additionally uses an epiperimetric inequality for weakly $a$-harmonic functions, which we also prove. To the best of our knowledge, our Alt-Caffarelli-Friedman monotonicity result is new.