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Suppose $\Omega$ is a bounded domain in $\mathbb R^3$ with Lipchitz boundary $\partial\Omega$, and $u\in H_0^1(\Omega)\cap C(\Omega)$. Is $u$ continuous to the boundary i.e. do we have $u \in C( \overline{\Omega})$?

In other words, is is true that $H_0^1 (\Omega)\cap C(\Omega)\subset C(\overline \Omega)$?

Depending on the answer(s), I may have some follow-up questions (for what it's worth).

Thank you any and all in advance.

Edit: It seems the answer is no so I am adding follow-up questions: Can I get that $u$ is bounded and/or attains its maximum on $\overline\Omega$?

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2 Answers 2

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Not necessarily- let $\Omega = B_1 \cap \{x_3 > 0\}.$ Then $u(x) := (1-|x|^2)\frac{x_3}{|x|}$ is in $H^1_0(\Omega) \cap C^{\infty}(\Omega),$ but $u$ is discontinuous at the origin.

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks Connor. How do you know your $u(x)$ is in $H_0^1$? $\endgroup$
    – Ben Ciotti
    Commented Feb 3, 2021 at 4:03
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    $\begingroup$ One can show that $u \in H^1(B_1)$ by direct calculation. To show that $u \in H^1_0(\Omega)$, let $\phi \in C^{\infty}_0(B_1)$ with $\phi = 1$ in $B_{1/2}$, and argue that $(1-\phi(R\cdot))u$ (which are smooth, hence obviously in $H^1_0(\Omega)$) tend to $u$ in $H^1(\Omega)$ as $R \rightarrow \infty$. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 3, 2021 at 4:53
  • $\begingroup$ Very nice, thank you. No wonder I was having trouble proving it. I do have a follow-up which I shall also addend to my original post: Can I at least get that $u$ is bounded and/or attains its maximum on $\overline\Omega$? $\endgroup$
    – Ben Ciotti
    Commented Feb 3, 2021 at 5:26
  • $\begingroup$ Unfortunately not- the modification $u(x) = (1-|x|^2)\frac{x_3}{|x|^{5/4}}$ is unbounded near the origin but still in $H^1_0(\Omega) \cap C^{\infty}(\Omega)$ by the same argument as above. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 3, 2021 at 5:33
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The answer to the follow-up question is negative too. For consider the half-ball $\Omega=\{x\,;\,x_3>0,\,|x|<1\}$. Choose a number $\alpha\in(1,\frac32)$, and a function $\phi\in C^\infty({\mathbb R}^3)$ such that $\phi(x)\equiv1$ for $|x|<\frac13$, while $\phi(x)\equiv0$ for $|x|>\frac23$. Then the function $u(x)=r^{-\alpha}x_3\phi(x)$ belongs to $H^1(\Omega)\cap C(\Omega)$. Its trace, being an element of $H^{1/2}(\partial\Omega)$, is a square-integrable function, hence can be determined by looking away from a negligible Lebesgue set. Thus we look at the trace away from the origin, where $u$ is continuous and vanishes at the boundary. Therefore the trace is $\equiv0$, that is $u\in H^1_0(\Omega)$. Yet, it is not a bounded function.

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