Order filtration of formal pseudodifferential operators ($\mathrm{ord}[P,Q]\le \mathrm{ord}P+\mathrm{ord}Q-1$)

For scalar coefficients, leading symbols commute. If $P=a{\partial }^p+\cdots$ and $Q=b{\partial }^q+\cdots$, their product has leading coefficient $ab$, and their commutator has coefficient $pa{b}^{\prime }-qb{a}^{\prime }$ at order $p+q-1$. Thus product order is at most $p+q$, with equality when $ab$ is not identically zero; commutator order is at most $p+q-1$, with equality when its displayed coefficient is not identically zero. Constant-coefficient operators commute. Nonzero smooth functions with disjoint supports show why product orders need not add over $C^{\infty }(\mathbb{R})$.