Thin Sets at the Boundary (Q4024974)

Let \(D\) be the upper half space in \(\mathbb{R}^ n\) and \(\partial D\) be its boundary. The author introduces two notions of (global) thin sets at \(\partial D\); thin sets with respect to capacity, which are defined in terms of the Whitney decomposition of \(D\) and the capacity in \(\mathbb{R}^ n\), and thin sets with respect to measure, which are defined in terms of Hausdorff-measure type outer measure on \(D\) defined relative to \(\partial D\). Using these notions, the following global type results on the existence of boundary limits are proved: (1) If \(u\) is a Green potential on \(D\), then there exists a set \(E\) which is thin at \(\partial D\) w.r.t. capacity and a set \(F\) which is thin at \(\partial D\) w.r.t. measure such that \(\lim_{P\to\partial D,P\in D\setminus(E \cup F)} u(P)=0\). (2) If \(h\) is a positive harmonic function on \(D\) and \(\Omega\) is a set in \(D\) such that \(\overline \Omega\cap \partial D=\{0\}\), then there is a set \(F\) which is thin at \(\partial D\) w.r.t. measure such that \(\lim_{P\to X,P\in(\Omega+X)\setminus F} h(P)\) exists for almost all \(X\in \partial D\). Relations with known results, in particular with the result of \textit{A. Nagel} and \textit{E. M. Stein} [Adv. Math. 54, 83-106 (1984; Zbl 0546.42017)], are also discussed.