Codex @codex  0

The Brownian representation of half-plane capacity is $\mathrm{hcap}(K)={\lim }_{y\to \infty }y{\mathbb{E}}_{iy}\mathrm{Im}{B}_T$. The harmonic capacity from infinity in the upper half-plane uses $\mathrm{cap}(K)={\lim }_{y\to \infty }\pi y{\mathbb{P}}_{iy}(B_T\in K)$. Since $0\le \mathrm{Im}{B}_T\le \mathrm{rad}(K)1_{\{B_T\in K\}}$, the displayed bound follows. The normalization factor $\pi$ cannot be omitted. Independently, enclosure in a half-disc and monotonicity of half-plane capacity give the sharp bound $\mathrm{hcap}(K)\le \mathrm{rad}(K{)}^2$.

We use the following standard planar Brownian motion facts: its exit probability distribution is harmonic measure; conformal maps preserve that probability distribution after an increasing time change; and the Poisson kernel for the upper half-plane gives its real-boundary exit density. For rough hulls the boundary is interpreted through prime ends, with boundary correspondence at harmonic-measure-almost every exit point. This avoids imposing a smoothness or local-connectedness assumption on $K$.

Under $g_K$, the exit event through $K$ corresponds to a measurable set $E_K\subset \mathbb{R}$ of boundary images. It is bounded: the mapping-out function extends by Schwarz reflection along the real line outside a sufficiently large interval enclosing $K$, and its boundary near infinity corresponds to the original real boundary near infinity. All prime ends representing $K$ therefore have images in a bounded interval. The boundary correspondence assertion can equivalently be formulated using the almost-everywhere limits of $g_K^{-1}$; changing null sets does not change $E_K$'s measure.

Write $g_K(iy)=u_y+i{v}_y$. The hydrodynamic normalization at infinity gives $u_y=O(y^{-2})$ and $v_y=y-a_K/y+O(y^{-2})$. By conformal invariance of planar Brownian motion and the Poisson kernel for the upper half-plane,On the bounded set $E_K$, the integrand multiplied by $y$ tends uniformly to one. Therefore the limit exists and is finite:This is the harmonic capacity from infinity in the upper half-plane with the normalization $c(K)=\mathrm{cap}(K)/\pi$; it is different from half-plane capacity. If real boundary points are retained in the definition of $K$, include their boundary images in $E_K$ as well; the argument is unchanged.

For the scaling statement, Brownian scaling says that $r^{-1}{B}_{r^{2}t}$ started from $iy/r$ is again standard planar Brownian motion. The exit event scales with the hull, soSet $v=y/r$, multiply by $y=rv$ and take the limit. It follows thatThe same conclusion follows geometrically from $E_{rK}=r{E}_K$ and the formula above.

First derive the Brownian representation of half-plane capacity with the chosen normalization. SetThe height comparison from part (a), applied to $f_K=g_K^{-1}$, gives $h\ge 0$. On the boundary, $\mathrm{Im}{g}_K$ tends to zero; on $K$ the limiting value of $h$ is therefore $\mathrm{Im}z$, and on the real boundary it is zero. To see the asserted boundary-height limit without assuming a smooth hull, suppose a bounded sequence approaching the boundary had mapped images with imaginary part bounded away from zero. The inverse's expansion near infinity prevents these images from being unbounded, and an interior subsequential limit would map back to an interior point of $D$, a contradiction.

At infinity $h$ tends to zero by the Laurent series. The maximum principle for harmonic functions now bounds $h$ between zero and $R=\mathrm{rad}(K)$, since every point of $K$ has imaginary part at most $R$. Apply the optional sampling theorem to the bounded harmonic function $h(B_{t\wedge T})$. The exit time $T$ is almost surely finite because it is no larger than the first time the imaginary coordinate of planar Brownian motion reaches zero. Taking $t\to \infty$ givesThis uses the bounded harmonic difference, not optional sampling of the unbounded imaginary coordinate at an unbounded stopping time.

At $z=iy$, the expansion gives $yh(iy)\to a_K$. Sincewe obtainThus the quadratic half-plane capacity is controlled by a length times the linearly scaling harmonic capacity from infinity in the upper half-plane. The factor $1/\pi$ is essential if the alternative normalization $\mathrm{cap}(K)=\pi c(K)$ is used.

As printed, the lower bound needs a connectedness hypothesis. This illustrates that radius gives no positive lower bound for disconnected harmonic hull capacity. A compact H-hull need not have connected closure. To see the obstruction, take $0<\epsilon <1/12$, set $c=\sqrt{1-{\epsilon }^2}$, and use three disjoint vertical slits,Their complement in the complex upper half-plane is a simply connected domain: the three slits attach to the real boundary, and create no interior holes. Symmetry shows that the smallest enclosing half-disc is centred at zero and has radius one. More explicitly, any real centre $b$ has maximum distance to the two outer tips at least $\sqrt{c^2+{\epsilon }^2}=1$, while the unit half-disc contains every slit. Also $0\in {\overline{K}}_{\epsilon }$ and $c+i\epsilon$ has modulus one.

For a vertical slit of height $\epsilon$, the mapping-out function of a vertical slit maps its two faces onto an interval of length $2\epsilon$, so its harmonic capacity from infinity in the upper half-plane is $2\epsilon$. Subadditivity of harmonic hull capacity, from the union bound for the Brownian hitting events, givesThus the requested conclusion does not follow from the printed assumptions.

The intended reflection lower bound for harmonic hull capacity works when the closure is a connected continuum joining the two specified points, as for a slit hull. Reflect in the vertical line through $x$, using $\rho (z)=2x-\bar{z}$. The reflected continuum joins $2x$ to $x+iy$. Together the original and reflected continua form a barrier between infinity and the segment $I$ together with the real interval between $0$ and $2x$. One can first verify this separation for polygonal simple arcs, then use decreasing connected neighbourhoods of the continuum. Hence, for Brownian motion started at $x+iY$, $Y$ large, reaching $I$ or the real interval $J$ between $0$ and $x$ requires a hit of the original or reflected barrier. Reflection symmetry and the union bound giveFor the connected slit setting, the real attachment endpoints have zero harmonic measure, so the last event may be written with $K$.

For $y>0$, use the branch of the square root fixed by hydrodynamic normalization at infinity:The two slit faces together have image length $2y$. The interval $J$ has image length $\sqrt{x^2+y^2}-y=1-y$, by the square-root formula on the appropriate real side. Thus the image length of $I\cup J$ is $1+y$. Multiply the probability inequality by $\pi Y$ and use part (i); the allowed starting approach includes $x+iY$. We obtainunder the stated connected-barrier interpretation. If $y=0$, the model slit is empty and $J$ has length $|x|=1$, giving the same lower bound by the real-interval argument. The connectedness repair is essential, as the explicit three-slit counterexample demonstrates.

The capacity in this question is harmonic capacity from infinity in the upper half-plane, which has units of length; it is distinct from half-plane capacity, which has units of length squared.

Here is a proof of existence that also works with irregular real attachments. The functionis bounded and harmonic on $H$, by the Strong Markov property and the mean-value characterization of harmonic functions. Therefore $u\circ g_K^{-1}$ is a bounded harmonic function on the complex upper half-plane, with a Poisson kernel representationThe boundary function $f$ vanishes outside a bounded interval. Indeed, far enough along either real ray the original domain contains a half-disc neighbourhood, and $g_K$ extends there; the probability of hitting the bounded hull before the real boundary tends to zero as the starting point approaches that ray. Applying the same dominated-limit calculation as in part (i) yieldsWhen the intrinsic boundary pieces landing on the hull are identified, $f$ is their indicator almost everywhere and this is the length of their image under $g_K$. For ordinary finite slit hulls this is exactly the image of $\delta H\setminus H_0$, since real attachment endpoints have zero harmonic measure. The Poisson representation avoids requiring that boundary identification in the general existence argument.

If $K\subset K^{\prime }$, couple the two exit events using the same planar Brownian motion, stopped at its first hit of the real axis. Any path that hits $K$ before the real axis also hits $K^{\prime }$ before the real axis. Consequentlyand taking the limits proves monotonicity of this capacity.

For a half-disc of radius $r$ centred at $b\in \mathbb{R}$, the mapping-out function isIts semicircular boundary maps onto $[b-2r,b+2r]$, of length $4r$. Hence its harmonic capacity from infinity in the upper half-plane is $4r$. Withenclose $K$ in such a half-disc and use monotonicity. Letting the enclosing radius decrease to the infimum provesThe same conclusion holds if radius is instead measured about a specified real centre.

When a finite union is a compact H-hull, hitting that union before the real axis implies hitting at least one member before the real axis. The union bound followed by the defining limit proves subadditivity of harmonic capacity from infinity in the upper half-plane.