Nodal domains and growth of harmonic functions on noncompact manifolds (Q1186668)

Two growth aspects of harmonic functions on a complete Riemannian manifold \(M\) are studied. First, if \(M\) has absolutely bounded sectional curvature then a bounded harmonic function \(f\) can decay at most exponentially fast, unless \(f\) vanishes identically. For positive harmonic functions this would follow from the Harnack inequality proved by Yau in 1975. The proof here is via Carleman type inequalities, used earlier by the authors [Invent. Math. 93, No. 1, 161-183 (1988; Zbl 0659.58047)]. Second, if the Ricci curvature of \(M\) is bounded from below, then the authors verify the principle ``thin nodal sets force rapid growth for a harmonic function \(f\)''. A nodal set is a component of the complement of the zero set of \(f\). Complex analysts recognize here a far-reaching extension of the Phragmén-Lindelöf principle.