A generalized mean value inequality for subharmonic functions (Q5939215)

If \(f\) is an integrable function on the ball \(B(x,r)\) of centre \(x\) and radius \(r\) in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) where \(n\geq 2\), then \(M(f,x,r)\) denotes the mean value of \(f\) on \(B(x,r)\). It is known that if \(u\) is a nonnegative subharmonic function on a domain \(\Omega\) in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) and \(p>0\), then \(u^p(x)\leq CM(u^p, x,r)\) whenever \(\overline{B(x,r)} \subset\Omega\), where \(C\) depends only on \(n\) and \(p\). (If \(p\geq 1\), then we can take \(C=1\). The author [Expo. Math. 7, 69-72 (1989; Zbl 0677.31004)] pointed out that in the case where \(0<p<1\) the result is essentially contained in work of \textit{C. Fefferman} and \textit{E. M. Stein} [Acta Math. 29, 137-193 (1972; Zbl 0257.46078)]). The paper under review gives a short proof of the following more general theorem. If \(u\) is nonnegative and subharmonic on \(\Omega\) and \(\psi: [0,+\infty] \to[0,+ \infty]\) is a concave surjection such that \(\psi^{-1}(2t)\leq A\psi^{-1}(t)\) for all \(t\geq 0\), where \(A\) is a constant, then there exists a constant \(C=C(n,\psi) \geq 1\) such that \((\psi\circ u)(x)\leq CM(\psi \circ u,x,r)\) whenever \(\overline {B(x,r)} \subset\Omega\).