Perturbation Theory for Second Order Elliptic Operators with BMO Antisymmetric Part

Abstract

In the present paper we study perturbation theory for the $L^p$ Dirichlet problem on bounded chord arc domains for elliptic operators in divergence form with potentially unbounded antisymmetric part in BMO. Specifically, given elliptic operators $L_0 = \mbox{div}(A_0\nabla)$ and $L_1 = \mbox{div}(A_1\nabla)$ such that the $L^p$ Dirichlet problem for $L_0$ is solvable for some $p>1$; we show that if $A_0 - A_1$ satisfies certain Carleson condition, then the $ L^q$ Dirichlet problem for $L_1$ is solvable for some $q \geq p$. Moreover if the Carleson norm is small then we may take $q=p$. We use the approach first introduced in Fefferman-Kenig-Pipher '91 on the unit ball, and build on Milakis-Pipher-Toro '11 where the large norm case was shown for symmetric matrices on bounded chord arc domains. We then apply this to solve the $L^p$ Dirichlet problem on a bounded Lipschitz domain for an operator $L = \mbox{div}(A\nabla)$, where $A$ satisfies a Carleson condition similar to the one assumed in Kenig-Pipher '01 and Dindoš-Petermichl-Pipher '07 but with unbounded antisymmetric part.