Comparing three possible hypoelliptic Laplacians on the 5-dimensional Cartan group via div-curl type estimates

Abstract

On general Carnot groups, the definition of a possible hypoelliptic Hodge-Laplacian on forms using the Rumin complex has been considered by Rumin, who introduced a 0-order pseudodifferential operator on forms. However, for questions regarding regularity for example, where one needs sharp estimates, this 0-order operator is not suitable. Up to now, there have only been very few attempts to define hypoelliptic Hodge-Laplacians on forms that would allow for such sharp estimates. Indeed, this question is rather difficult to address in full generality, the main issue being that the Rumin exterior differential $d_c$ is not homogeneous on arbitrary Carnot groups. In this note, we consider the specific example of the free Carnot group of step 3 with 2 generators, and we introduce three possible definitions of hypoelliptic Hodge-Laplacians. We compare how these three possible Laplacians can be used to obtain sharp div-curl type inequalities akin to those considered by Bourgain & Brezis and Lanzani & Stein for the de Rham complex, or their subelliptic counterparts obtained by Baldi, Franchi & Pansu for the Rumin complex on Heisenberg groups.