Revisiting the heat kernel on isotropic and nonisotropic Heisenberg groups*

Abstract

The aim of this paper is threefold. First, we obtain the precise bounds for the heat kernel on isotropic Heisenberg groups by using well-known results in the three-dimensional case. Second, we study the asymptotic estimates at infinity for the heat kernel on nonisotropic Heisenberg groups. As a consequence, we give uniform upper and lower estimates of the heat kernel, and complete its short-time behavior obtained by Beals–Gaveau–Greiner. Third, we prove that the uniform asymptotic behaviour at infinity (so the small-time asymptotic behaviour) of the heat kernel for Grushin operators, obtained by the first author, are still valid in two and three dimensions.