Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2022 / iii / Paper 327 (Distribution Theory and Applications)

Using multi-index notation, the Schwartz space isA sequence ${\phi }_m$ converges to $\phi$ in this Fréchet space when $p_{\alpha ,\beta }({\phi }_m-\phi )\to 0$ for every $\alpha ,\beta$. The space ${\mathcal{S}}^{\prime }({\mathbb{R}}^n)$ of tempered distributions is the continuous dual of $\mathcal{S}({\mathbb{R}}^n)$, and $u_m\to u$ there means weak convergence of distributions, namely $⟨u_m,\phi ⟩\to ⟨u,\phi ⟩$ for every $\phi \in \mathcal{S}$.

Continuity of a linear functional immediately implies that ${\phi }_m\to 0$ entails $⟨u,{\phi }_m⟩\to 0$. Conversely, enumerate the Schwartz seminorms as $p_1,p_2,\dots$. If $u$ were not continuous, then for each $m$ one could choose ${\phi }_m$ such thatEvery fixed seminorm tends to zero along this sequence, so ${\phi }_m\to 0$ in $\mathcal{S}$, contradicting the assumed sequential property. This is the sequential continuity criterion for a linear map on a metrizable topological vector space.

The angular-frequency Fourier transform and its inverse on $\mathcal{S}({\mathbb{R}}^n)$ areIt extends to a tempered distribution by duality:

Since ${\delta }_{1/t}\phi (x)=\phi (x/t)$ maps the Schwartz space continuously to itself, the formuladefines a continuous linear functional on $\mathcal{S}$, hence a tempered distribution. For a locally integrable function $u$, the change of variables formula $y=tx$ givesso this dilation of a distribution agrees with ordinary function dilation.

The scaling property of the Fourier transform gives, first for Schwartz functions and then by duality,If the homogeneous distribution $u$ has degree $\sigma$, thenPutting $s=1/t$ yields ${\delta }_s\hat{u}=s^{-n-\sigma }\hat{u}$. Thus the Fourier transform of a homogeneous distribution has degree $\boxed{-n-\sigma }$.

Because $0<\alpha <n$, $|x{|}^{-\alpha }$ is locally integrable at the origin and has only polynomial growth at infinity, so it defines a tempered distribution. It is a homogeneous distribution of degree $-\alpha$ and is radial. Its Fourier transform is therefore radial and homogeneous of degree $\alpha -n$, so it must have the form $c_{\alpha }|\lambda {|}^{\alpha -n}$. In particular, $\boxed{\beta =n-\alpha }$.

To determine the constant, use the stated Gamma integral representation, Fubini's theorem, and the Fourier transform of a Gaussian:The change of variables formula $s=|\lambda {|}^2/(4\tau )$ then givesThis is precisely the Fourier transform of the Riesz kernel.

The space of smooth functions $\mathcal{E}(X)=C^{\infty }(X)$ has the topology of uniform convergence of every derivative on every compact set $K⋐X$. Thus $f_j\to f$ exactly whenfor every $K$ and every multi-index $\alpha$. Its continuous dual ${\mathcal{E}}^{\prime }(X)$ is the compactly supported distribution space; convergence in the weak dual topology means pointwise convergence on every $f\in \mathcal{E}(X)$.

Let $K$ contain the support of $u\in {\mathcal{E}}^{\prime }({\mathbb{R}}^n)$. Choose a cutoff function that equals one near $K$. It makeswell-defined, and differentiating the parameter under the pairing givesThus the Fourier transform of a compactly supported distribution is a smooth function. Since a compactly supported distribution has finite order, some $N$ and $C$ satisfyApplying this estimate to the exponential yields $|\hat{u}(\lambda )|\le C^{\prime }⟨\lambda {⟩}^N$.

Now take $v\in {\mathcal{E}}^{\prime }(X)$, multiply by a cutoff function supported in $X$ and equal to one near $\mathrm{supp}v$, and regard the result as an element of ${\mathcal{E}}^{\prime }({\mathbb{R}}^n)$. Choose $m$ so large thatis Lebesgue integrable. The inverse Fourier transform $f={\mathcal{F}}^{-1}g$ is a bounded continuous function, and the Fourier transform of a derivative givesas a distributional identity. This is the Bessel potential proof of the structure theorem for compactly supported distributions.

The function $f$ itself need not have compact support. Choose another cutoff $\rho \in \mathcal{D}(X)$ equal to one near $\mathrm{supp}v$. Then $v=\rho (1-\Delta {)}^{m}f$. Repeatedly usingexpresses $v$ as a finite sum ${\sum }_{\beta }{\partial }^{\beta }{f}_{\beta }$, where every coefficient $f_{\beta }$ is continuous and compactly supported in $X$.

By multiplication of a distribution by a smooth function, for every test function $\psi$,Hence $\rho {\delta }_0={\delta }_0$.

The distributional derivative of the Heaviside step function is $H^{\prime }={\delta }_0$. The Leibniz rule and $x{\delta }_0=0$ therefore give

Applying the distributional Leibniz rule twice givesEliminating the middle term provesChoose $\rho \in \mathcal{D}(\mathbb{R})$ with $\rho (0)=1$. Parts i and ii and the identity just proved, with $\phi =\rho$ and $u=xH$, yieldThus explicit continuous functions of compact support are

The Malgrange–Ehrenpreis theorem states that every nonzero constant-coefficient linear partial differential operator $P(D)$ on ${\mathbb{R}}^n$ has a fundamental solution of a linear differential operator: there is an $E\in {\mathcal{D}}^{\prime }({\mathbb{R}}^n)$ such that $P(D)E={\delta }_0$.

Write $D=-i\partial$. After an orthogonal change of coordinates and multiplication by a nonzero constant, its polynomial symbol may be written as a monic polynomial in the last frequency,For each real ${\mu }^{\prime }$, this polynomial has $M$ complex roots counted with multiplicity. Among a fixed finite collection of horizontal lines at bounded heights, one can choose a line that stays a positive distance from all those roots. Continuity of the roots preserves the choice on a neighborhood $N({\mu }^{\prime })$. Take a countable locally finite cover by such neighborhoods, refine it to a measurable disjoint partition ${\mathbb{R}}^{n-1}={⨆}_j{\Delta }_j$, and let $c_j$ be the chosen height on ${\Delta }_j$. The resulting Hörmander staircasehas bounded heights and may be chosen so that $|P({\xi }^{\prime },s+i{c}_j)|\ge 1$ on each step.

For a test function $\phi$, defineThe Paley–Wiener–Schwartz theorem gives rapid decay in the real frequency directions and at most a fixed exponential factor in the bounded imaginary direction. Together with $|P|\ge 1$, this proves that the integral defines a continuous distribution. Applying $P(D)$ cancels the denominator. The remaining integrand is entire in $z$, so the Cauchy integral theorem shifts every horizontal contour to the real axis; the partition then recombines into ${\mathbb{R}}^{n-1}$. The Fourier inversion theorem giveswhich proves the theorem.

For the wave operator ${\partial }_x^2-{\partial }_y^2$, use the symboland complexify $\eta$. Its roots $\eta =\pm \xi$ are real for every real $\xi$, so the single horizontal stepnever meets a root and is an explicit Hörmander staircase.

For the Laplace operator, an irrelevant nonzero factor gives the symbol $P(\xi ,\eta )={\xi }^2+{\eta }^2$. The roots in complex $\eta$ are $\eta =\pm i|\xi |$, so no fixed horizontal line avoids them for every $\xi$. A two-step staircase isOn the first step the roots have imaginary part in $[-1,1]$, and on the second they are nonreal, so neither step meets the zero set.

For the heat operator ${\partial }_x-{\partial }_y^2$, complexify the first frequency. Its symbol iswhose root in $\xi$ is $\xi =i{\eta }^2$ and therefore lies in the closed upper half-plane for real $\eta$. The single steplies strictly below every root and is an explicit Hörmander staircase.