The Denjoy-Young-Saks theorem in higher dimensions: a survey (Q1704414)

Let \(f:\mathbb R\to\mathbb R\). Let \(D^+f(x)=\limsup_{t\to x+}(f(t)-f(x))/(t-x)\), \(D^-f(x)=\limsup_{t\to x-}(f(t)-f(x))/(t-x)\), \(D_+f(x)=\lim\inf_{t\to x+}(f(t)-f(x))/(t-x)\), \(D_-f(x)=\liminf_{t\to x-}(f(t)-f(x))/(t-x)\). By the Denjoy-Young-Saks theorem for \(f:E\to \mathbb R\), \(E\subset \mathbb R\), and almost all points of \(E\) one of the following 3 cases holds: {\parindent=8mm \begin{itemize}\item[(1)] \(f\) is differentiable; \item[(2)] either (a) \(D^+f=D_-f\) is finite, \(D_+f=-\infty\) and \(D^-f=+\infty\) or (b) \(D^-f=D_+f\) is finite, \(D_-f=-\infty\) and \(D^+f=+\infty\); \item[(3)] \(D_+f=D_-f=-\infty\) and \(D^+f=D^-f=+\infty\). \end{itemize}} For \(E\subset\mathbb R^2\), \(f:E\to \mathbb R\), \(l(x,\theta)\) denotes the half-line from the point \(x\) in direction defined by \(\theta\in[0,2\pi)\). Then \(\partial^\theta f(x):=\limsup_{E\cap l(x,\theta)\ni y\to x}(f(y)-f(x))/|x-y|\). Finally, \(L_f(x)=\limsup_{y\to x}|f(y)-f(x)|/|x-y|\). The paper is a survey of results connected with the Denjoy-Young-Saks theorem in one-dimensional and two-dimensional cases. Also it contains several new results, e.g., Theorem 5. Let \(f:E\to \mathbb R\) be an arbitrary function defined on an arbitrary set \(E\subset\mathbb R^2\). Define \(M:=\{x\in E: L_f(x)<\infty\}\). Then \(f\) is differentiable a.e. on \(M\), \(M\) is a relatively \(F_\sigma\) set and \(\partial^{\theta_0}f\) are relatively Lebesgue measurable on \(M\) for every \(\theta_0\in [0,2\pi)\).