The obstacle problem for parabolic non-divergence form operators of Hörmander type

Abstract

In this paper we establish the existence and uniqueness of strong solutions to the obstacle problem for a class of parabolic sub-elliptic operators in non-divergence form structured on a set of smooth vector fields in Rn, X={X1,…,Xq}, q⩽n, satisfying Hörmanderʼs finite rank condition. We furthermore prove that any strong solution belongs to a suitable class of Hölder continuous functions. As part of our argument, and this is of independent interest, we prove a Sobolev type embedding theorem, as well as certain a priori interior estimates, valid in the context of Sobolev spaces defined in terms of the system of vector fields.