Math 2.0

Potential theory Dirichlet problem and Green's functions Counterexample

Lebesgue spine

Builds on Regular boundary pointWiener's criterionCapacity of a setOpen ball

Counterexample

In ℝ3\R^3, write points as x=(x1,x2,x3)x = (x_1, x_2, x_3) and consider the closed thin spike K={x∈ℝ3:0<x1≤1,  x22+x32≤e−2/x1}∪{0}.K = \set{x \in \R^3 : 0 < x_1 \le 1, \; x_2^2 + x_3^2 \le e^{-2/x_1}} \cup \set{0}. Its cross-section at distance x1x_1 from the origin is a disc of radius e−1/x1e^{-1/x_1}. Let Ω=B∖K\Omega = B \setminus K, where BB is the open ball of radius 22 centred at 00. The origin 00 is a boundary point of Ω\Omega, the tip of the spike, and it is not a regular boundary point. Check with Wiener's criterion, using the part EkE_k of the complement in the shell 2−k−1≤∣x∣≤2−k2^{-k-1} \le \abs{x} \le 2^{-k}. For large kk, EkE_k lies in a thin cylinder of length about 2−k−12^{-k-1} and radius at most e−2ke^{-2^k}. A cylinder of length ℓ\ell and radius r≤ℓ/2r \le \ell/2 has Newtonian capacity at most a constant times ℓ/log⁡(ℓ/r)\ell / \log(\ell / r). So cap⁡(Ek)\operatorname{cap}(E_k) is at most a constant times 2−k/2k=4−k2^{-k} / 2^k = 4^{-k}, and ∑k2kcap⁡(Ek)\sum_k 2^k \operatorname{cap}(E_k) converges. Hence 00 is irregular.

Remarks

The example is due to Lebesgue. The spike is connected and has interior points, so a boundary point can be irregular even when the complement of Ω\Omega near it is a connected set of positive volume. Suppose the spike is less sharp, for example with radius x1mx_1^m for some m>1m > 1. Then EkE_k contains a cylinder whose capacity is at least a constant times 2−k/k2^{-k}/k. The terms of Wiener's series are then at least a constant times 1/k1/k, the series diverges, and the tip is regular. In the plane no such example exists: a boundary point that lies in a connected component of the complement with more than one point is always regular.

Reading path

To understand this page from the ground up, read these 7 pages in order. The foundations come first.

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Each page uses the pages above it. The colour of the bar on a box shows how strong the evidence is, and the box also gives it as text. The list has the same pages.
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  1. Boundary concept
  2. Capacity of a set concept
  3. Open ball concept
  4. Open set concept
  5. Regular boundary point concept
  6. Wiener's criterion statement
  7. Lebesgue spine counterexample

Further reading

  1. Web https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebesgue_spine
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TagEFFC7688KR
URIm2://EFFC7688KR
Kindcounterexample
WritingW0 stub
MSC31B25, 31B20
UsesRegular boundary point, Wiener's criterion, Capacity of a set, Open ball
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