First-order Sobolev space ($W^{1,p}(U)$)

For an open set $U\subseteq {\mathbb{R}}^n$ and $1\le p\le \infty$, the first-order Sobolev space iswhere each $D_{i}u$ is a weak derivative. Its standard norm is $\Vert u{\Vert }_{W^{1,p}}=\Vert u{\Vert }_p+{\sum }_i\Vert D_{i}u{\Vert }_p$.

Every element of $W^{1,p}(a,b)$ for $1\le p<\infty$ has an absolutely continuous representative. Its ordinary derivative exists almost everywhere, equals its weak derivative, and belongs to $L^p(a,b)$.

For every open set $U\subseteq {\mathbb{R}}^n$, smooth functions in $U$ are dense in $W^{1,p}(U)$ for $1\le p<\infty$. Near a flat boundary, one may first translate the function into the domain and then apply a mollifier.

A Sobolev extension operator is a bounded linear map $E:W^{1,p}(U)\to W^{1,p}({\mathbb{R}}^n)$ whose restriction to $U$ is the original function. For a half-space, reflection across the boundary gives such an operator.

For $U=(0,\infty )\times {\mathbb{R}}^{n-1}$, the formula $Eu(x_1,x^{\prime })=u(|x_1|,x^{\prime })$ defines a bounded Sobolev extension operator. Its weak normal derivative changes sign across the boundary, while its tangential weak derivatives are reflected unchanged.

The odd reflection of a function on a half-space is $Eu(x^{\prime },x_n)=\mathrm{sgn}(x_n)u(x^{\prime },|x_n|)$. When $u$ has zero trace on the boundary, this extension preserves the relevant weak regularity and often converts a homogeneous boundary problem into an interior problem.

A function $f:[a,b]\to \mathbb{R}$ is absolutely continuous exactly when there is a function $g\in L^1(a,b)$ such thatThen $f$ is differentiable almost everywhere and $f^{\prime }=g$ almost everywhere.