Structure theorem for functions of bounded variation ($Du\in \mathcal{M}(\Omega ;{\mathbb{R}}^n),|Du|(\Omega )=\mathrm{TV}(u)$)

The functional $\phi \mapsto -\int u\mathrm{div}\phi$ is bounded in the uniform norm exactly when $u$ belongs to the BV space. Extend it from compactly supported smooth tests to $C_0$, then apply the Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem to obtain the unique finite vector Radon measure $Du$. Its dual norm is the defining variation supremum. This representation should be distinguished from the deeper rectifiability results used in the decomposition of a BV derivative.

The Lebesgue decomposition theorem separates the absolutely continuous part from the singular part. BV fine structure then splits the latter into the jump part of a BV derivative and the Cantor part of a BV derivative. The density of the absolutely continuous part is the almost-everywhere approximate gradient. These three mutually singular components distinguish smooth variation, surface discontinuities and diffuse singular variation.

This derivative component is carried by the jump set of a BV function. Swapping the two BV traces on a hypersurface and reversing the normal leaves it unchanged. In one dimension it consists of the point measure atoms, each weighted by the difference between the right and left limits.