\(p\)-harmonic functions with boundary data having jump discontinuities and Baernstein's problem (Q982538)

Let \(\Omega\) be a nonempty bounded open set and \(1<p<\infty\). Let a boundary point \(x_0\in\partial\Omega\) be regular, that is, \(\lim_{\Omega\ni y\to x_0}Pf(y)=f(x_0)\) for all \(f\in\mathcal C(\partial\Omega)\), where \(Pf\) is the Perron solution of the Dirichlet problem for \(p\)-harmonic functions. In this paper, the author investigates the following question. Problem. Assume that \(f,h:\partial\Omega\to\mathbb R\) are bounded and resolutive and that \(f=h\) in \(B(x_0,\delta)\cap\partial\Omega\). (Here \(B(x_0,\delta):=\{x\in{\mathbb R}^2:|x-x_0|<\delta\}\).) Does it then follow that \[ \lim_{\Omega\ni y\to x_0}\bigl(Pf(y)-Ph(y)\bigr)=0\,? \] If the answer is positive, then a simple approximation argument makes it possible to replace the requirement that \(f=h\) in \(B(x_0,\delta)\cap\partial\Omega\) by the assumption that \[ \lim_{\partial\Omega\ni x\to x_0}\bigl(f(x)-h(x)\bigr)=0\,. \eqno{(1)} \] If \(x_0\) is not regular, then (1) fails, and thus it is essential to require \(x_0\) to be regular. In the linear case, \(p=2\), the conclusion is true. In the nonlinear case, this question is much harder. In this paper, the author makes an attempt to answer this question by looking at functions with jump discontinuities. The main results are Theorems 6.1 and 7.2. For example, consider Theorem 6.1. Theorem 6.1. Let \(0<\alpha<2\pi\) and \(A\in\mathbb R\). Assume that \(0\in\partial\Omega\) is an asymptotic corner point with directions \(0\) and \(\alpha\). Let \(f:\partial\Omega\to\mathbb R\) be a bounded function which has a jump at \(0\) with limits \(0\) and \(A\). Let further \(U(re^{i\theta})=A\theta/\alpha\) for \(r>0\) and \(-\gamma<\theta<\alpha+\gamma\) where \(\gamma=\frac14\min\{\alpha,2\pi-\alpha\}\). Let \(E\subset\partial\Omega\) be a finite or countable set of exterior ray points, and let \(h\) be a function such that \(h=f\) on \(\partial\Omega\setminus E\). Then \[ \lim_{\Omega\ni z\to0}\bigl(\underline{P}h(z)-U(z)\bigr)= \lim_{\Omega\ni z\to0}\bigl(\overline{P}h(z)-U(z)\bigr)=0\,. \] Moreover, we have the following radial limits \[ \lim_{t\to0+}\underline{P}h\bigl(te^{i\beta}\bigr)= \lim_{t\to0+}\overline{P}h\bigl(te^{i\beta}\bigr)= \frac{A\beta}\alpha \] for \(0<\beta<\alpha\). As a particular application, the author obtains the following result. Let \(0<p<\infty\) and let \(\Omega=\mathbb D\) be the unit disc in the complex plane. Let \(G\subset\partial\mathbb D\) be the union of \(m\) open arcs. Then \(\omega_{a,p}(G)=\omega_{a,p}(\overline G)\) for all \(a\in\mathbb D\). Here \(\omega_{a,p}(G):=P_{\chi G}(a)\) denotes the \(p\)-harmonic measure.