ON SHARP AGMON-MIRANDA MAXIMUM PRINCIPLES

In this survey we formulate our results on different forms of maximum principles for linear elliptic equations and systems. We start with necessary and sufficient conditions for validity of the classical maximum modulus principle for solutions of second order strongly elliptic systems. This principle holds under rather heavy restrictions on the coefficients of the systems. For instance, it fails for the Stokes and Lame systems. Next, we turn to sharp constants in more gen­ eral maximum principles due to S. Agmon and C. Miranda. We consider higher order elliptic equations, the Stokes and Lame systems in a half-space, 88 well 88 the planar deformed state system in a half-plane.