Permissible growth rates for Birkhoff type universal harmonic functions (Q2569466)

A harmonic function \(H\) on \(\mathbb{R}^{n}\) \((n\geq 2)\) is called universal (in the sense of Birkhoff) if its set of translates \(\{x\mapsto H(a+x):a\in \mathbb{R}^{n}\}\) is dense in the space \(\mathcal{H}_{n}\) of all harmonic functions on \(\mathbb{R}^{n}\), endowed with the topology of local uniform convergence. The main result of this paper shows that universal harmonic functions may have arbitrarily prescribed growth. A result of this nature for holomorphic functions had previously been established by \textit{S. M. Duyos Ruis} [Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 279, 792--795 (1984; Zbl 0599.30059)]. The author contrasts this behaviour with that of MacLane-type universal harmonic functions, the partial derivatives (rather than translates) of which are dense in \(\mathcal{H}_{n}\). Such functions do have a minimum growth rate: see \textit{M. P. Aldred} and \textit{D. H. Armitage} [J. Lond. Math. Soc. (2) 57, 148--156 (1998; Zbl 0922.31004)].