Singular functions on metric measure spaces. (Q1396465)

The authors generalize the definition of Green's function for the \(p\)-Laplacian to relatively compact domains \(\Omega\) of a metric measure space \(X\). Using upper gradients, concepts like Sobolev spaces \(N^{1,p} (\Omega)\), \(p\)-harmonic functions, and \(p\)-capacity have already been defined in the literature. Moreover, Green's functions on Riemannian manifolds satisfy an equation for \(p\)-capacities of their level sets. Using this remark, for any fixed \(y\in \Omega\) the authors consider functions \(g(\cdot, y)\) that are positive and \(p\)-harmonic on \(\Omega\setminus \{y\}\), belong to \(N^{1,p} (X\setminus B (y,r))\) for every \(r>0\), vanish outside \(\Omega\), and satisfy a suitable inequality for the \(p\)-capacity of their level sets. Since not all the properties of the Green function hold in this general setting, they call them \(p\)-singular functions. Under some assumptions on the metric measure space \(X\), the authors prove the existence of singular functions in relatively compact domains, study the existence of global singular functions, and apply these results to existence questions of quasiconformal mappings between metric spaces of locally bounded geometry.