Math 2.0

Potential theory Dirichlet problem and Green's functions Counterexample

Zaremba's punctured ball

Builds on Regular boundary pointPerron–Wiener–Brelot solutionSuperharmonic functionOpen ballDirichlet problem

Counterexample

Let n≥2n \ge 2 and let Ω={x∈ℝn:0<∣x∣<1}\Omega = \set{x \in \R^n : 0 < \abs{x} < 1} be the unit open ball with its centre removed. Its boundary is the unit sphere together with the point 00. Let f=0f = 0 on the unit sphere and f(0)=1f(0) = 1; this ff is continuous on ∂Ω\partial\Omega, since 00 is an isolated point of ∂Ω\partial\Omega. The Perron–Wiener–Brelot solution of ff is Hf=0H_f = 0, so 00 is not a regular boundary point. Check: the constant 00 is in the lower class, so Hf≥0H_f \ge 0. For ε>0\varepsilon > 0, let uε(x)=ε(∣x∣2−n−1)u_\varepsilon(x) = \varepsilon (\abs{x}^{2-n} - 1) if n≥3n \ge 3 and uε(x)=εlog⁡(1/∣x∣)u_\varepsilon(x) = \varepsilon \log (1/\abs{x}) if n=2n = 2. This function is harmonic, hence superharmonic, on Ω\Omega. It is 00 on the unit sphere and tends to +∞+\infty at 00, so it is in the upper class and Hf≤uεH_f \le u_\varepsilon. Letting ε→0\varepsilon \to 0 gives Hf≤0H_f \le 0, so Hf=0H_f = 0, which does not tend to f(0)=1f(0) = 1.

Remarks

So the Dirichlet problem on the punctured ball has no solution for this continuous boundary function. A classical solution uu would be bounded and harmonic near 00, so 00 would be a removable singularity. The extended function on the ball would vanish by the maximum principle, which contradicts u(0)=1u(0) = 1. The point 00 is too small to be seen by harmonic functions: it has capacity zero.

Reading path

To understand this page from the ground up, read these 21 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.
  • no evidence level
  1. Boundary concept
  2. Continuous function concept
  3. Domain in the complex plane concept
  4. Euclidean space object
  5. Function concept
  6. Open ball concept
  7. Perron–Wiener–Brelot solution concept
  8. Regular boundary point concept
  9. Superharmonic function concept
  10. Total derivative concept
  11. Function of several variables concept
  12. Vector-valued function concept
  13. Differentiable function of several variables concept
  14. Partial derivative concept
  15. Vector field concept
  16. Gradient concept
  17. Divergence concept
  18. Laplacian concept
  19. Harmonic function concept
  20. Dirichlet problem problem
  21. Zaremba's punctured ball counterexample

Further reading

  1. Web https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirichlet_problem
About this page
Tag4PK2T949SQ
URIm2://4PK2T949SQ
Kindcounterexample
WritingW0 stub
MSC31B20, 31B25, 31A25
UsesRegular boundary point, Perron–Wiener–Brelot solution, Superharmonic function, Open ball, Dirichlet problem

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