Sobolev Regularity in Mixed and Isotropic Scales for Vector Fields on the Torus

Abstract

We study regularity, existence, and uniqueness of solutions to vector fields on the two-dimensional torus in Sobolev spaces of dominating mixed smoothness, which measure regularity separately in the two variables. For constant-coefficient vector fields, we obtain families of mixed smoothness estimates describing how the gain or loss of regularity can be distributed between the two variables. In the nonreal case, a gain of one derivative can be distributed between the two directions, whereas for real irrational coefficients the loss is governed by the irrationality measure of the coefficient. We also establish sharpness below the corresponding arithmetic threshold and describe the rational and Liouville obstructions. For real-valued variable coefficients, direct estimates for the periodic Fourier-mode equations yield mixed smoothness regularity results and their isotropic and classical consequences. We then use a periodic conjugation to the averaged constant-coefficient normal form. Although this conjugation introduces an additional loss in the mixed smoothness scale, it preserves isotropic Sobolev orders and therefore transfers the sharp constant-coefficient isotropic theory to the variable-coefficient setting. In the nonresonant regimes, we also obtain existence and uniqueness under the natural zero-mean compatibility condition.