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TheoremStatement: Literature-sourcedProof: AI-adaptedprecheck passaudited 2026-08-27
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A C^2 function is subharmonic exactly when its Laplacian is nonnegative

Statement

Let Ω⊆C be open and let u∈C2(Ω,R). Then u is subharmonic on Ω if and only if Δu=uxx+uyy≥0 throughout Ω.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: An open set Ω⊆C and a function u∈C2(Ω,R).

[L1]

Subharmonicity on a domain is equivalent to harmonic comparison on every compactly contained disc (Subharmonicity is equivalent to harmonic comparison on compactly contained discs).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1L1givenalgebra

Assume first that u is subharmonic. Fix a∈Ω and choose r>0 with D(a,r)‾⊆Ω. For 0<ρ<r, Taylor's formula in the direction eit gives [L1, given, algebra] u(a+ρeit)=u(a)+ρ ∇u(a) ⁣⋅ ⁣eit+ρ22 eit ⁣T(D2u(a))eit+o(ρ2). Averaging over t kills the linear term and averages the quadratic term to ρ24Δu(a), so the submean inequality yields 0≤12π∫02πu(a+ρeit) dt−u(a)=ρ24Δu(a)+o(ρ2). Dividing by ρ2 and letting ρ↓0 gives Δu(a)≥0.

2.1L1algebra∎

Assume now that Δu≥0 on Ω. Fix a closed disc D(a,r)‾⊆Ω, and let h be continuous on D(a,r)‾, harmonic on D(a,r), and satisfy h≥u on ∂D(a,r). Put w=u−h. Then w is continuous on D(a,r)‾, belongs to C2(D(a,r)), satisfies Δw=Δu≥0 on D(a,r), and has w≤0 on ∂D(a,r). If some point p∈D(a,r) had w(p)>0, choose 0<ε<w(p)/r2 and define wε(z):=w(z)+ε∣z−a∣2. On the boundary one has wε≤εr2<w(p)≤wε(p), so wε attains its maximum at an interior point q∈D(a,r). The second-derivative test there gives Δwε(q)≤0, but Δwε=Δw+4ε≥4ε>0, a contradiction. Therefore w≤0 on D(a,r), so u≤h on the whole disc. Since the disc and the harmonic boundary majorant h were arbitrary, [L1] shows that u is subharmonic on Ω.

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