Two-parameter variational estimates for averages over tori

Abstract

One-parameter variational inequalities are well developed, whereas their multi-parameter counterparts remain much less understood. We explore two-parameter variational inequalities for averages over tori in ${\mathbb{R}}^3$. To capture the underlying two-parameter structure, we introduce a local two-parameter $r$-variation norm that combines rectangular increments with variations along the boundary. The resulting variation operator pointwise dominates the corresponding two-parameter local maximal function and, unlike the maximal function, also captures oscillation across the two parameters. We establish sharp $L^p$--$L^q$ bounds for this variation operator up to endpoints. For comparison, we also obtain sharp $L^p$ bounds up to endpoints for the corresponding local one-parameter variation operator, revealing a genuine difference between the one- and two-parameter boundedness regions. The proof combines square function estimates for two-parameter propagators with local smoothing estimates through mixed-norm interpolation.