B2.17

Partial Differential Equations
Part II, 2003

(a) If ff is a radial function on Rn\mathbb{R}^{n} (i.e. f(x)=ϕ(r)f(x)=\phi(r) with r=xr=|x| for xRnx \in \mathbb{R}^{n} ), and n>2n>2, then show that ff is harmonic on Rn{0}\mathbb{R}^{n}-\{0\} if and only if

ϕ(r)=a+br2n\phi(r)=a+b r^{2-n}

for a,bRa, b \in \mathbb{R}.

(b) State the mean value theorem for harmonic functions and prove it for n>2n>2.

(c) Generalise the statement and the proof of the mean value theorem to the case of a subharmonic function, i.e. a C2C^{2} function such that Δu0\Delta u \leqslant 0.