Characterizations of Sobolev spaces with variable exponent via averages on balls (Q2234527)

This work is based on the approach used in the paper of [\textit{R. Alabern} et al., Math. Ann. 354, No. 2, 589--626 (2012; Zbl 1267.46048)] where Sobolev spaces \(W^{\alpha,p}(\mathbb R^n)\) with \(\alpha\in[1,\infty)\) and the constant exponent \(p\in(1,\infty)\) were characterized. In the present paper, the author derives analogous characterization of the Sobolev spaces \(W^{\alpha,p(\cdot)}(\mathbb R^n)\) where \(\alpha\in[1,\infty)\) and \(p(\cdot)\) is a variable exponent which belongs to the globally log-Hölder continuous class \(C^{\log}(\mathbb R^n)\). Notice that this method can be used to define Sobolev spaces with variable exponent on metric spaces.