Questions tagged [geometric-measure-theory]

Questions about geometric properties of sets using measure theoretic techniques; rectifiability of sets and measures, currents, Plateau problem, isoperimetric inequality and related topics.

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Topological dimension, Hausdorff dimension, and Lipschitz mappings

I can prove the following result. Here $\operatorname{dim} X$ stands for the topological dimension and $\mathcal{H}^n$ denotes the Hausdorff measure. Theorem. Suppose that $f:\mathbb{R}^n\supset\...
Piotr Hajlasz's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
442 views

Hausdorff dimension of the graph of a BV function

Let $u: \Omega\subset \mathbb{R}^N \to \mathbb{R}^M$ be a $BV$ function. Is the Hausdorff dimension of the graph of $u$ equal to $N$? How can we prove it? Update. In an answer to this post, it ...
Riku's user avatar
  • 819
12 votes
2 answers
938 views

Set of points with a unique closest point in a compact set

Let $K\subset\mathbb{R}^n$ be any compact set. Let $\operatorname{Unp}(K)$ be the set of points in $$ \operatorname{Unp}(K)=\{x\in\mathbb{R}^n\setminus K:\, \exists ! y\in K \ \ |x-y|=d(x,K)\}. $$ ...
Piotr Hajlasz's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
306 views

If the Hausforff dimension of the graph of a function $u$ is $N$ and $\tilde u = u$ a.e. then $\dim_H \mathrm{graph} \, \tilde u = N$ too

Let $\Omega$ be an open (non empty) set and $u:\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^N \to \mathbb{R}^M$ be a function such that the Hausdorff dimension of its graph is $N$. Let $\tilde u = u$ a.e. Is it true ...
Riku's user avatar
  • 819
4 votes
1 answer
569 views

Meaning of Alberti rank-one theorem

Heuristically what does Alberti's rank-one theorem imply about the structure of a $\mathrm{BV}$ vector field $\boldsymbol{b}$? Is it rigorously fair to say that the level lines of $\boldsymbol{b}$ ...
user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
171 views

Role of absolute continuity of divergence of BV function in proof of renormalization property

In the paper http://cvgmt.sns.it/paper/436/, the author proves the renormalization property for the flow generated by a vector field $a(t,\cdot) \in BV(\mathbb{R}^N; \mathbb{R}^N)$. Heuristically, ...
Riku's user avatar
  • 819
11 votes
1 answer
914 views

Coarea inequality, Eilenberg inequality

The general statement of the coarea inequality known also as the Eilenberg inequality is: Theorem. If $f:X\to Y$ is a Lipschitz map between metric spaces and $A\subset X$, $0\leq m\leq n$, then $$ \...
Piotr Hajlasz's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
186 views

Heuristic and graphic representation of BV functions and their singularities

This question is about some heuristics and graphs of BV functions. In 1-dimensional setting, two key examples of $BV$ functions $u: \mathbb R \to \mathbb R$ are the Heaviside function, whose ...
Riku's user avatar
  • 819
2 votes
2 answers
301 views

Concrete example of BV function $u:\mathbb{R}^2 \to \mathbb{R}$ with singular derivative

What are examples of two BV functions $u:\mathbb{R}^2 \to \mathbb{R}$ with singular derivative? More precisely, I'd like to see an example (and a plot using Mathematica or Matlab) of a function $$...
Riku's user avatar
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37 votes
6 answers
5k views

Applications of Rademacher's Theorem

Rademacher's Theorem (that every Lipschitz function on $\mathbb{R}^{n}$ is almost everywhere differentiable) is a remarkable result on the structure of the space of Lipschitz functions, but I was ...
Gordon Craig's user avatar
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37 votes
0 answers
1k views

Converse of the Archimedean property of the sphere

In his remarkable book On the Sphere and Cylinder, where he came tantalizingly close to discovering calculus, Archimedes showed that the area of the portion of the sphere contained between a pair of ...
Mohammad Ghomi's user avatar
21 votes
1 answer
4k views

Are functions of bounded variation a.e. differentiable?

In general, it is well known that, on the real line, say on $[0,1]$, if a function $f$ is of (pointwise) bounded variation, meaning that $$ \sum_{i=1}^n |f(x_i)-f(x_{i-1})| <+\infty $$ for every ...
user111164's user avatar
20 votes
2 answers
2k views

Open problems in Federer's Geometric Measure Theory

I wanted to know if the problems mentionned in this book are solved. More specifically, at some places, the author says that he doesn't know the answer, for example :"I do not know whether this ...
Paul-Benjamin's user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
908 views

Second order differentiability of convex functions

Let $f:\mathbb{R}^n\to\mathbb{R}$ be a convex function. Then $f$ is locally Lipschitz and hence differentiable a.e. (Rademacher). Let $E\subset\mathbb{R}^n$ be the set of points where $f$ is ...
Piotr Hajlasz's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
3k views

Integration on the space of symmetric matrices

Let $\mu$ be a Lebesgue measure on the space $G$ of real symmetric $n \times n$ matrices (the Haar measure on the additive group of such matrices). For any $A \in G$ let $\chi_{A}(x)$ be its ...
Appliqué's user avatar
  • 1,269
10 votes
3 answers
2k views

Origin of term Ahlfors-David regular

Much of the literature on analysis in metric spaces makes use of an assumption called Ahlfors regularity or Ahlfors-David regularity. Let $q>0$. A metric space $(X,d)$ is Ahlfors(-David) $q$-...
mdr's user avatar
  • 527
9 votes
2 answers
569 views

Unknown work of Nöbeling on topological/Hausdorff dimension

Let $\mathcal{H}^n$ denote the Hausdorff measure, $\dim_H X$ the Hausdorff dimension, and $\dim X$ the topological dimension of $X$. A well known result of Szpilrajn (He changed his name to ...
Piotr Hajlasz's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
651 views

How can dimension depend on the point?

Let $M$ be a metric space. For any subset $A\subset M$ let $\dim(A)$ denote its Hausdorff dimension. For $x\in M$, define the dimension of $M$ at $x$ by $\dim(x)=\lim_{r\to0}\dim(B(x,r))$; this limit ...
Joonas Ilmavirta's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Prove that the flow of a divergence-free vector field is measure preserving

On page 3 of this preprint, after recalling the definition of flow generated by a vector field, the authors remark that "a necessary condition for a flow $\varphi_t(\cdot)$ generated by $a(t, \cdot)$ ...
Riku's user avatar
  • 819
6 votes
1 answer
448 views

Relative volume increase of $\delta$-fattening of a compact set

For a non-empty, compact set $A \subseteq \mathbb{R}^n$, the $\delta$-fattening of $A$, $A_\delta$, is defined to be the set $$ A_\delta = \cup_{a \in A} B_{\delta}(a), $$ where $B_\delta(a)$ denotes ...
Cenk Baykal's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
870 views

Continuity of Hausdorff measure on level sets

Let $\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^2$ a open and bounded set with smooth boundary and $\phi:\Omega\to\mathbb{R}$ a smooth function such that: $\bullet$ $\phi^{-1}(0)\neq\emptyset$; $\bullet$ $\nabla\phi(x)\...
Bogdan's user avatar
  • 1,330
5 votes
1 answer
192 views

Is the support of a Sobolev function a varifold?

$\DeclareMathOperator{\graph}{\operatorname{graph}}$ I would like to know if, given $f\in W^{1,2}(\mathbb{R}^n,\mathbb{R})$, it is true that we can always cover $\graph(f)\subset\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ with ...
No-one's user avatar
  • 1,037
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

Hausdorff dimension of convex set in ${\bf R}^n$

I want to know the smoothness of convex set in ${\bf R}^n$. Recall the following definition. Definition : $X$ is a bounded closed convex set in ${\bf R}^n$ if for $x$, $y\in X$, the any $d$-...
Hee Kwon Lee's user avatar
  • 1,070
2 votes
0 answers
69 views

Alberti rank-one theorem and irregular jump discontinuities

Is it fair to say that Alberti rank one theorem means that a BV functions $u \in BV(\mathbb{R}^2)$ has $Du = D^{cantor}u$ if and only if it has a jump discontinuity across a curve that is not smooth (...
Riku's user avatar
  • 819
1 vote
1 answer
145 views

BV function with absolutely continuous divergence

Let $f:\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^N \to \mathbb{R}^N$ be a vector field such that $f \in BV(\Omega)$. Suppose that $\mathrm{div} f$ is absolutely continuous with respect to the Lebesgue measure and ...
Riku's user avatar
  • 819
42 votes
0 answers
793 views

A kaleidoscopic coloring of the plane

Problem. Is there a partition $\mathbb R^2=A\sqcup B$ of the Euclidean plane into two Lebesgue measurable sets such that for any disk $D$ of the unit radius we get $\lambda(A\cap D)=\lambda(B\cap D)=\...
Taras Banakh's user avatar
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32 votes
3 answers
3k views

What are the obstructions for a Henstock-Kurzweil integral in more than one dimension?

I have recently come across the book The Kurzweil-Henstock Integral and its Differentials by Solomon Leader, in which, if I understand correctly, the HK integration process is modified in a way that ...
Vladimir Sotirov's user avatar
27 votes
1 answer
1k views

How can we not know the $s$-measure of the Sierpiński triangle?

I'm preparing a presentation that would enable high-school level students to grasp that the (self-similarity) dimension of an object needs not be an integer. The first example we look at is the ...
Rami Luisto's user avatar
27 votes
1 answer
1k views

The dual of $\mathrm{BV}$

$\DeclareMathOperator\BV{BV}\DeclareMathOperator\SBV{SBV}$I'm going to let $\BV := \BV(\mathbb{R}^d)$ denote the space of functions of bounded variation on $\mathbb{R}^d$. My question concerns the ...
Gary Moon's user avatar
  • 663
23 votes
3 answers
1k views

Existence of subset with given Hausdorff dimension

Let $A\subseteq \mathbb{R}$ be Lebesgue-measurable and let $0<\alpha<1$ be its Hausdorff dimension. For a given $0<\beta <\alpha$ can we find a subset $B\subset A$ with Hausdorff ...
Severin Schraven's user avatar
22 votes
1 answer
4k views

Image of the trace operator

It is well-known that we have the trace theorem for Sobolev spaces. Let $\Omega$ be an open domain with smooth boundary, we know that the map $$ T: C^1(\bar\Omega) \to C^1(\partial\Omega) \subset L^...
Willie Wong's user avatar
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19 votes
4 answers
4k views

Explicit extension of Lipschitz function (Kirszbraun theorem)

Kirszbraun theorem states that if $U$ is a subset of some Hilbert space $H_1$, and $H_2$ is another Hilbert space, and $f : U \to H_2$ is a Lipschitz-continuous map, then $f$ can be extended to a ...
gondolier's user avatar
  • 1,829
17 votes
4 answers
2k views

Planar sets where any line through the center of mass divides the set into two regions of equal area.

This question is influenced by the following riddle: You are given a rectangular set in the plane with a rectangular hole cut out (in any orientation). How do you cut the region into two sets of ...
Otis Chodosh's user avatar
  • 7,087
16 votes
1 answer
2k views

Hausdorff measure and the volume form

There are two tools, generalizing a concept of a volume to the case of submanifolds in $\mathbb{R}^n$, namely the Hausdorff measure $H^k$ and the volume form. The question is how to show that if $M$ ...
Appliqué's user avatar
  • 1,269
15 votes
0 answers
1k views

A Kakeya-like problem: must a union of annuli fill the plane?

Let $S$ be a subset of $\mathbb{R}^2$ with the following property. For all $x \in \mathbb{R}^2$ and $\varepsilon \gt 0$, there exists a nontrivial interval $[a,b] \subseteq [1-\varepsilon,1]$, such ...
Scott Aaronson's user avatar
10 votes
0 answers
254 views

Plank invariant measures on convex bodies

Let $K\subset R^2$ be a convex body, i.e., a compact convex set with interior points. A plank $P$ is the region between a pair of parallel lines in $R^2$. Let us say that $P$ intersects $K$ properly ...
Mohammad Ghomi's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
860 views

Doubling space without Besicovitch covering theorem?

A metric space is doubling if any ball of radius $2R$ can be covered by $N$ balls of radius $R$ and $N$ is fixed once forever. Is there an example of complete length-metric space which is doubling, ...
Stas Kuznetsov's user avatar
10 votes
1 answer
785 views

Current vs Varifold

I know the basic definitions concerning current and varifold, and they are generalization of submanifolds. What are their respective pros and cons? What are their crucial similarities and differences?
JSCB's user avatar
  • 1,610
10 votes
0 answers
164 views

Maximizing an integral w.r.t. a measure on the unit sphere

I would like to know if the answer to the following question is known. Let $d \ge 3$. What is the value of $$ \theta(d) := \max_{\mu} \int_{S^{d-1}} \int_{S^{d-1}} \cdots \int_{S^{d-1}} |x_1 \...
Romeo's user avatar
  • 960
10 votes
1 answer
447 views

Isoperimetric inequality for closed curves in $\mathbb{R}^n$

A well known isoperimetric inequality for closed curves in $\mathbb{R}^2$ can be generalized to closed curves in $\mathbb{R}^{2n}$, see: https://mathoverflow.net/a/321505/121665. I have two questions: ...
Piotr Hajlasz's user avatar
9 votes
1 answer
841 views

A Besicovitch-type Covering Theorem

In the book The Geometry of Domains in Spaces by Krantz and Parks, the authors proved the weak $(1,1)$-type estimate of the maximal function $M_\mu f$, where $\mu$ is a Radon measure, using their ...
BigbearZzz's user avatar
  • 1,245
9 votes
3 answers
880 views

local behavior of a finite Borel measure

Let $\mu$ be a finite Borel measure on $\mathbb{R}^n$. I am interested in how does $\mu(B(x,r))$ behave, where $B(x,r)$ is the open ball of radius $r$ centered at $x$. For instance, as far as I recall,...
gondolier's user avatar
  • 1,829
8 votes
1 answer
473 views

Bounding an "integral" from below by the Hausdorff measure of the domain

Let $(X,d)$ be an arbitrary metric space and $E \subset X$ also arbitrary. Fix $s \in (0,\infty)$. Is it true that for any $ \delta > 0 $ and any collection of pairs $\{(A_i,a_i)\}_{i \in \...
Behnam Esmayli's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
901 views

Fubini's theorem on arbitrary foliations

In what follows $ \mathbb{R}^{n+m} = \{(x,y): x \in \mathbb{R}^n, \ y \in \mathbb{R}^m \} \ .$ Suppose $G: U \to V $ is a $C^1$-diffeomorphism from an open subset of a manifold to an open subset of $...
Behnam Esmayli's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
295 views

Measure of chords from a cantor set

The following problem is inspired by a problem in Pugh's Mathematical Analysis book. (Chapter 2 Problem 42). In the problem he asks one to consider the standard Cantor set on the unit interval, and ...
Nick R's user avatar
  • 1,047
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Sobolev functions on $\mathbb{R}^N$ cannot be discontinuous on a $(N-1)$-dimensional submanifold

How can one prove (or where can I find a proof) that if $u \in W^{1,p}(\Omega)$, where $\Omega \subset \mathbb{R}^N$, then $u$ cannot have a $(N-1)$-manifold of discontinuity points?
Riku's user avatar
  • 819
6 votes
0 answers
170 views

The distributional gradient of the closest isometry to the differential of a smooth map

The setting-a "linear algebra" fact: Let $A$ be a real $n \times n$ matrix, and suppose that $\det A<0$ and that the singular values of $A$ are distinct. Then, there exist a unique matrix $Q(A) \...
Asaf Shachar's user avatar
  • 6,621
6 votes
1 answer
225 views

Densities, pseudoforms, absolute differential forms and measures, differential forms, etc

Apologies if this question is too basic, but I figured I first heard of most of these concepts on MO, so perhaps I can ask here. Gelfand’s definition, copied from AlvarezPaiva [My edit, could be ...
D.R.'s user avatar
  • 741
6 votes
1 answer
639 views

Calculate Hausdorff measure with Frostman measures

Fix a metrix space $(X,d)$ and consider the Hausdorff (outer) measures $\mathcal{H}^s$ on $X$. A Frostman measure on $X$ is a finite Borel measure $\mu$ such that there exists $C,t,r_0>0$ with $\...
Johannes Hahn's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
272 views

Have we discovered constructions for natural fractional dimensional spheres?

I have been thinking about a couple different problems in fractal geometry (including I one deleted because it was ill posed) and realize they all depend in a fundamental way on the problem of: Can we ...
Sidharth Ghoshal's user avatar