 Solution

For this change of variables,and $u_{xx}+u_{yy}=0=v_{xx}+v_{yy}$. The second derivative chain rule therefore givesThus the transformation rule for the Laplacian isFor $f=x+y$, its Laplacian is zero. At every point with $(x,y)\ne (0,0)$, division by $4(x^2+y^2)$ provesThis conclusion applies to each local inverse branch of the change of variables: its Jacobian determinant is $4(x^2+y^2)$, so such a branch exists away from the origin by the inverse function theorem. A single globally defined $g$ cannot represent $x+y$ on the entire plane, since $(x,y)$ and $(-x,-y)$ give the same $(u,v)$ but generally opposite values of $x+y$. Nor can a differentiable $g$ represent this $f$ in a neighborhood of the origin: the multivariable chain rule there would give $f_x=f_y=0$, contradicting $f_x=f_y=1$. The requested harmonic function conclusion is therefore a local statement on nonsingular branches.^[ref]