Global Hölder estimates for 2D linearized Monge–Ampère equations with right-hand side in divergence form

Abstract

We establish global Hölder estimates for solutions to inhomogeneous linearized Monge–Ampère equations in two dimensions with the right hand side being the divergence of a bounded vector field. These equations arise in the semi-geostrophic equations in meteorology and in the approximation of convex functionals subject to a convexity constraint using fourth order Abreu type equations. Our estimates hold under natural assumptions on the domain, boundary data and Monge-Ampère measure being bounded away from zero and infinity. They are an affine invariant and degenerate version of global Hölder estimates by Murthy-Stampacchia and Trudinger for second order elliptic equations in divergence form.