Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-algebra-1-and-differential-equations-1-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2015/5/b/i/solution
Past exam of the algebra 1 and differential equations 1 course of the University of Oxford 2015 5 b i Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-31
Use the classical regularity setting , with bounded. Continuity on the compact set guarantees existence of a minimum. The inequality means that is superharmonic function.
A strict inequality would immediately exclude an interior minimum, because its Hessian matrix there would be positive semidefinite and have nonnegative trace. To handle equality, introduce the quadratic perturbation proof of the minimum principle:Its minimum must lie on . Choose so that on . For any ,Letting gives . ThereforeThis asserts that a minimum is attained on the boundary, not that it cannot also be attained inside; a constant function attains it everywhere.
New to topics? Read the docs here!