On monotone extensions of boundary data (Q1185485)

A function \(f\in C(Q)\), \(Q\subseteq\mathbb{R}^ s\) is called monotone on \(Q\) if for any \(x,y\in Q\) the relation \(x-y\in\mathbb{R}^ s_ +\) implies \(f(x)\geq f(y)\). Given a domain \(Q\subseteq\mathbb{R}^ s\) with a continuous boundary \(\partial Q\) and given any monotone function \(f\) on \(\partial Q\) the authors are concerned with the existence and regularity of monotone extensions, i.e., of functions \(F\) which are monotone on \(Q\) and coincide with \(f\) on \(\partial Q\). In particular, in this article it is shown that there is no linear mapping that is capable of producing a monotone extension to arbitrarily given monotone boundary data. Three nonlinear methods for constructing monotone extensions are presented.