Zero extension for Poisson's equation (Q2309654)

The paper under review deals with a necessary and sufficient condition to ensure that the extension by zero of the solution of the (homogeneous) Dirichlet problem for the Poisson equation with right hand side \(f\) solves the (homogeneous) Dirichlet problem for the Poisson equation with the extension by zero of \(f\) as right hand side. More precisely the authors consider two smooth domains \(\Omega\) and \(\tilde{\Omega}\) in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) such that \(\overline{\Omega}\subseteq \tilde{\Omega}\) and, for example, \(f \in C^\infty_0(\overline{\Omega})\). They denote by \(u\) the solution of the Dirichlet problem \[ \left\{ \begin{array}{ll} -\Delta u =f & \mathrm{in}\ \Omega\, ,\\ u =0 & \mathrm{on}\ \partial \Omega\, . \end{array} \right. \] Then they ask under which condition on \(f\) the extension by zero of \(u\) solves the Dirichlet problem \[ \left\{ \begin{array}{ll} -\Delta \tilde{u} =\tilde{f} & \mathrm{in}\ \tilde\Omega\, ,\\ \tilde{u} =0 & \mathrm{on}\ \partial \tilde{\Omega}\, , \end{array} \right. \] where \(\tilde{f}\) is the extension by zero of \(f\). They show that this holds true if and only if \[ \int_{\Omega}fg\, dx=0\, \] for all harmonic functions \(g \in C^2(\Omega) \cap C^1(\overline{\Omega})\). Then the corresponding statement is considered for the case of \(f \in L^2(\Omega)\) (\(1<p<+\infty\)) and \(f \in H^{-1}(\Omega)\). Finally, a few comments for the nonlinear \(p\)-Laplace equation conclude the paper.