On partially hypoelliptic operators. Part I: Differential operators

This article gives a fundamental discussion on variable coefficients, self-adjoint, formally partially hypoelliptic differential operators. A generalization of the results to pseudo differential operators, is given in a following article in ArXiv. Close to N. Nilsson "Some estimates for spectral functions connected with formally hypoelliptic differential operators" in Arkiv för matematik ,10, 1972, we give a construction and estimates for a fundamental solution to the operator in a suitable topology. We further give estimates of the corresponding spectral kernel.