Analog of the John theorem for weighted spherical means on a sphere (Q2440074)

The article is devoted to a generalization of the John uniqueness theorem, which says that if a function \(f\in C^\infty\left({\mathbb R}^n\right)\) has zero integrals over all spheres of a fixed radius \(r\) and is equal to zero in a certain ball of radius \(r\), then \(f\equiv 0\) in \({\mathbb R}^n\). To formulate the main result, we need to introduce a special class of functions on the standard unit sphere \({\mathbb S}^2\) in \({\mathbb R}^3\) with interior metric \(d\). Let \(B_R=\left\{\xi\in{\mathbb S}^2: d(o,\xi)<R\right\}\) be an open geodesic ball (spherical cap) of radius \(R\) centered at \(o=(0,0,1)\in{\mathbb S}^2\). Let \(SO(3)\) be the group of rotations of \({\mathbb R}^3\). For a fixed non-negative integer \(M\), and \(0<r<\min(\pi,R)\), we set \[ V_{r,M}\left(B_R\right)=\left\{f\in L_{loc}\left(B_R\right):\,\int_{B_r}f\left(\tau\xi\right)\left(\xi_1+i\xi_2\right)^M\,d\xi=0 \,\forall\tau\in SO(3):\,\tau\overline{B_r}\subset B_R\right\}, \] where \(\xi_1\), \(\xi_2\), and \(\xi_3\) are the Cartesian coordinates (in \({\mathbb R}^3\)) of \(\xi\in{\mathbb S}^2\). For \(s\) a non-negative integer or \(\infty\), we denote \[ V_{r,M}^s\left(B_R\right):=V_{r,M}\left(B_R\right)\cap C^s\left(B_R\right). \] The main result of the article is the following statement. Theorem. Let \(f\in V_{r,M}^\infty\left(B_R\right)\) and let \(f=0\) in \(B_r\). Then \(f=0\) in \(B_R\). The authors applied methods of harmonic analysis and integral equations, as well as some results of the theory of special functions. As the authors note, the aforementioned theorem is not valid for functions of any finite smoothness. Moreover, the condition \(f=0\) in \(B_r\) cannot be relaxed. The article is organized as follows. An introductory part contains a history of the problem and a description of the methods used by several authors. The second chapter is a careful formulation of the main result. Then, some properties of classes \(V_{r,M}^s\left(B_R\right)\) are investigated. These statements may also be of independent interest. In Chapter 4, several useful properties of associated Legendre functions are obtained. Chapter 5 is devoted to a uniqueness lemma. Its proof involves integral equations. The last chapter contains the proof of the main result. The article should be interesting for specialists in various areas of Analysis. Not only the main result, but also the tools and methods developed here may be very useful in many related areas.