Introduction to Heat Potential Theory

This book is the first to be devoted entirely to the potential theory of the heat equation, and thus deals with time dependent potential theory. Its purpose is to give a logical, mathematically precise introduction to a subject where previously many proofs were not written in detail, due to their similarity with those of the potential theory of Laplace's equation. The approach to subtemperatures is a recent one, based on the Poisson integral representation of temperatures on a circular cylinder. Characterizations of subtemperatures in terms of heat balls and modified heat balls are proved, and thermal capacity is studied in detail. The generalized Dirichlet problem on arbitrary open sets is given a treatment that reflects its distinctive nature for an equation of parabolic type. Also included is some new material on caloric measure for arbitrary open sets. Each chapter concludes with bibliographical notes and open questions. The reader should have a good background in the calculus of functions of several variables, in the limiting processes and inequalities of analysis, in measure theory, and in general topology for Chapter 9.