The Aronsson equation for absolute minimizers of $L^\infty$-functionals associated with vector fields satisfying H\"ormander's condition

Abstract

Given a Carnot-Carath\'eodory metric space $(R^n, d_{\hbox{cc}})$ generated by vector fields $\{X_i\}_{i=1}^m$ satisfying H\"ormander's condition, we prove in theorem A that any absolute minimizer $u\in W^{1,\infty}_{\hbox{cc}}(\Om)$ to $F(v,\Om)=\sup_{x\in\Om}f(x,Xv(x))$ is a viscosity solution to the Aronsson equation (1.6), under suitable conditions on $f$. In particular, any AMLE is a viscosity solution to the subelliptic $\infty$-Laplacian equation (1.7). If the Carnot-Carath\'edory space is a Carnot group ${\bf G}$ and $f$ is independent of $x$-variable, we establish in theorem C the uniquness of viscosity solutions to the Aronsson equation (1.13) under suitable conditions on $f$. As a consequence, the uniqueness of both AMLE and viscosity solutions to the subelliptic $\infty$-Laplacian equation is established in ${\bf G}$