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Analysis

Elliott H. Lieb, Michael Loss

Chapter 9

Potential Theory and Coulomb Energies - all with Video Answers

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Chapter Questions

03:21

Problem 1

Referring to Remark (3) after Theorem 9.3, prove that harmonic functions are infinitely differentiable. Use only the harmonicity property $f(x)=\langle f\rangle_{x_1 R}$ for every $x$.

Melvin Adkins
Melvin Adkins
Numerade Educator

Problem 2

Prove Weyl's lemma: Let $T$ be a distribution that satisfies $\Delta T=0$ in $\mathcal{D}^{\prime}(\Omega)$. Show that $T$ is a harmonic function.

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41:50

Problem 3

Prove the assertion made in Remark (4) after Theorem 9.3, namely the function $t \mapsto[\tilde{f}]_{x, r(t)}$, defined by $9.3(7)$, is convex.

Oswaldo Jiménez
Oswaldo Jiménez
Numerade Educator

Problem 4

Let $f^1, f^2, \ldots$ be a sequence of subharmonic functions on the open set $\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^n$ and consider $g(x)=\sup _{1 \leq i<\infty} f^2(x)$ for every $x \in \Omega$. Show that $g$ is also subharmonic. Consider the analogous statement for superharmonic functions.

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Problem 5

Consider the distribution in $\mathcal{D}^{\prime}\left(\mathbb{R}^n\right)$ given, for $R>0$, by
$$
T_R(\phi):=\left|\mathbb{S}^{n-1}\right|^{-1} \int_{\mathbb{S}^{n-1}} \phi(R \omega) \mathrm{d} \omega .
$$

By Theorem 6.22 there exists a unique, regular Borel measure $\mu$ such that $T_R(\phi)=\int \phi(x) \mu(\mathrm{d} x)$.
a) Compute $9.7(1)$ for this measure $\mu$ and compute $D(\mu, \mu)$. You have to show that $|x-y|^{2-n}$ is measurable with respect to $\mu(\mathrm{d} x) \times \mu(\mathrm{d} y)$.
b) Prove that with $\nu(\mathrm{d} x)=\mu(\mathrm{d} x)-\rho \mathrm{d} x$, and $\rho \in L^1\left(\mathbb{R}^n\right)$ nonnegative, $D(\nu, \nu) \geq 0$.
c) Use the above to compute
$$
\inf \left\{D(\rho, \rho): \rho(x) \geq 0, \int \rho=1, \rho(x)=0 \text { for }|x|>R\right\} .
$$

Is the infimum attained?

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