Generalized derivatives and the radial growth of positive harmonic functions (Q912239)

Let \(\Delta =\{| z| <1\}\) and \(C=\{| z| =1\}\). The classical Riesz-Herglotz theorem provides a representation of each positive harmonic function u on \(\Delta\) as the Poisson-Stieltjes integral of a monotone nondecreasing function \(\mu\). The Fatou radial- limit theorem establishes a basic connection between the radial behavior of u and the symmetric derivatives of \(\mu\). Generalized upper and lower symmetric derivatives of \(\mu\) with respect to functions \(\omega\) (t) such as \(t^{\alpha}\), \(0<\alpha <1\), or t log(1/t), are defined analogously to the standard symmetric derivatives with \(\omega\) (t) replacing t in the denominator. These derivatives compare the local concentration of mass of the measure associated with \(\mu\) to the function \(\omega\). \textit{A. Samuelsson} [Ark. Mat. 7, 477-494 (1968; Zbl 0176.374)] correlated the generalized symmetric derivatives of \(\mu\) with the radial growth of u to \(\infty\). The four main theorems expand on this relationship. The first theorem collects Samuelsson's results and a fact, the proof of which is based on a method of \textit{A. P. Mul} [Math. USSR, Izv. 25, 89- 114 (1985; Zbl 0587.30032)]. It asserts essentially that the generalized upper symmetric derivative of \(\mu\) with respect to \(\omega\) at \(\theta\) is approximately the same size as the limit superior of the quantity \[ [(1-r)/\omega (1-r)]u(re^{i\theta})\quad as\quad r\to 1, \] and the corresponding lower symmetric derivative (up to a constant) is no larger than the corresponding limit inferior. The next three theorems consider the set of radii along which u can grow to \(\infty\) at a specified rate distinguishing the cases of intermittent and eventual growth at a given rate. By the first theorem, the former is equivalent to the study of the set of points where the generalized upper symmetric derivatives are at least as large as a specified positive number. Samuelsson showed that this set must have finite Hausdorff measure. The second theorem gives a converse to this result. Concerning the set of radii along which u eventually grows at a specified rate, the first theorem only guarantees that it contains the set of points where the function \(\mu\) has generalized lower symmetric derivative as large as a certain positive number. Examples show that the precise correspondence of the sets that occurred for intermittent growth no longer holds in this case. The third theorem characterizes in terms of generalized Carleson (or BCH) sets the set of points where \(\mu\) can have generalized lower right-hand and left-hand derivatives no smaller than a fixed positive number. The fourth and final theorem gives a necessary condition on the set of radii along which u may grow eventually at a specified rate.