Poincaré--Perron's method for the Dirichlet problem on stratified sets (Q1877797)

The authors consider the Dirichlet problem for certain elliptic operators on stratified sets. A stratified set is a connected set \(\Omega\subset \mathbb R^n\) which is a finite union of smooth submanifolds (strata) \(\sigma_{ki}\subset \mathbb R^n\). By \(\sigma_{mi}\succ\sigma_{lj}\) is meant \(\sigma_{lj}\subset \overline{\sigma_{mi}}\). Here (i) \(\sigma_{ki}\) is \(k\)-dimensional, (ii) the boundary of \(\sigma_{ki}\) is a finite union of pairwise disjoint strata \(\sigma_{mj}\) with dimension \(m<k\), (iii) if \(S(\sigma_{k-1 i})=\sigma_{k-1i}\bigcup_{\sigma_{kj}\succ\sigma_{k-1i}}\sigma_{kj}\) and if \(X\in \sigma_{k-1i}\) then there is a diffeomorphism \(\Psi\) of a neighborhood \(U_{X}\) of \(X\) such that \(\Psi\) straightens \(S(\sigma_{k-1i})\cap U_X\) i.e., \(\Psi(S(\sigma_{k-1i})\cap U_X)\) is a subset of a finite union of \(k\) dimensional half-spaces which are hinged along a \(k-1\) dimensional edge. Let \(\Omega_0\subset \Omega\) be open connected and dense in \(\Omega\). The authors consider an elliptic operator of divergence type div\((p\nabla u)=0\) where \(p| _{\sigma_{kj}}=p_{kj}\geq 0.\) Solutions are called \(p\)-harmonic (not to be confused with solutions of div\((| \nabla u| ^{p-2}\nabla u)=0\)). A spherical means theorem and a strong maximum principle are proven. Properties of Green's functions and Poisson's formula are derived. A proof of Harnack's inequality, based on the Poisson formula is then provided. The solvability of the Dirichlet problem is then proven adapting the Poincaré-Perron method.