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The Laplace fundamental solution is harmonic off its pole
Statement
Assume Countable Choice and . The displayed is smooth on and satisfies there; for every pole , is harmonic on .
Facts & Assumptions
Given: , , and the kernel with the normalization fixed in Fundamental solution for the positive operator minus Laplacian.
Countable Choice, written , is the assumption retained from the kernel convention (The Axiom of Countable Choice ()). The differentiation argument below does not use choice.
For , away from zero; for , (Fundamental solution for the positive operator minus Laplacian).
A scalar function is when all iterated coordinate derivatives through order exist and are continuous ( maps and multi-index derivative notation in Euclidean space).
A Euclidean map is when each component is ( Euclidean maps and diffeomorphisms).
Finite sums and products and compositions of Euclidean maps are ( Euclidean maps are closed under componentwise algebra and composition).
The total chain rule gives (The chain rule for total derivatives: ).
A total derivative's matrix gives the coordinate partial derivatives (A total derivative computes every directional derivative, and its matrix is the Jacobian).
For , for every real (Continuity and derivatives of positive-base real powers).
Sums, products and scalar multiples obey the derivative rules (Sums, scalar multiples, products and quotients: , , , and when ).
The Laplacian is the sum of the pure second coordinate partials (The Laplacian of a function and of a vector field).
A function whose Laplacian vanishes is harmonic (The Laplacian of a function and of a vector field).
Induction on the natural numbers proves a property once its base case and successor step hold (The principle of mathematical induction).
Proof
For any real , induction on using [F12] and [F7] gives on , where and . Each derivative is continuous by the real-power continuity in [F7], so is smooth under [F2]. Also by [F8]; applying the same derivative calculation to shows every higher derivative of exists and is continuous. Thus both radial profiles used in [F1] are smooth for .
On , put . Its coordinate functions and their finite sums and products are smooth by direct coordinate differentiation and [F2]–[F4]. Since on , the radius is smooth there by [F7], step 1.1, and closure under composition [F4]. Composing with the power profile for or the logarithm profile for proves that is smooth on .
For a smooth radial profile and , the chain rule [F5] and partial-derivative formula [F6] give . Differentiating again by the chain and product rules [F5], [F7] and [F9] gives . Summing over and using and the Laplacian definition [F10] yields . The calculation is on , where all derivatives used exist by steps 1.1 and 2.1.
If , set . Then and by [F7] and [F9], so step 3.1 gives . If , set . Then by [F8]–[F9] and by applying [F7] to ; hence . These cases exhaust .
For fixed , translation has affine coordinate functions, so direct differentiation gives its identity derivative and zero higher derivatives. The chain rule [F5] therefore gives whenever . The translated function is smooth there by [F4], hence is harmonic by [F11]. The assumption in [A1] is carried from the kernel convention but is not used in these pointwise derivative calculations.
Depends on
The Axiom of Countable Choice ()
Fundamental solution for the positive operator minus Laplacian
The Laplacian of a function and of a vector field
maps and multi-index derivative notation in Euclidean space
Euclidean maps and diffeomorphisms
Euclidean maps are closed under componentwise algebra and composition
The chain rule for total derivatives:
A total derivative computes every directional derivative, and its matrix is the Jacobian
Sums, scalar multiples, products and quotients: , , , and when
Continuity and derivatives of positive-base real powers
The natural logarithm has derivative 1/x and equals the integral from 1 to x of 1/t
The principle of mathematical induction