Definition of generalized Laplacian by Green’s theorem

green's theoremlaplacianpotential-theory

I am reading a book on Potential Theory and they motivate the generalized Laplacian by saying that Green's theorem implies the following:
$$
\int_D \phi \Delta u = \int_D u \Delta \phi dA
$$

where $\phi$ is $C^{\infty}$ with compact support in $D$, $D$ is a domain in the complex plane, and $u$ is a subharmonic function. Moreover $A$ here denotes the $2$ dimensional Lebesgue measure and $\Delta u$ is identified with the measure $\Delta u dA$.

My question is how does this follow from Green's theorem? As in what exactly are in this case the functions $M,L$ as stated for instance here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green%27s_theorem ? I suspect this to be simple, but I must be missing something obvious. Thanks in advance.

Best Answer

It's better to refer to the divergence theorem (a.k.a. Gauss' theorem), but in two dimensions that follows from Green's theorem: $$ \int_D \nabla \cdot F = \int_D \left( \frac{\partial F_x}{\partial x} + \frac{\partial F_y}{\partial y} \right) dx \, dy = \{ M= F_x,\ L=-F_y \} \\ = \oint_{\partial D} (-F_y \,dx + F_x \,dy) = \{ n\,ds = (dy, -dx) \} = \oint_{\partial D} F \cdot n \, ds . $$

Then we do a multidimensional integration by parts using the formula $\nabla\cdot(fv) = \nabla f \cdot v + f \, \nabla\cdot v,$ when $f$ is a scalar function and $v$ a vector function: $$ \int_D \phi \, \Delta u = \int_D \nabla\cdot(\phi\,\nabla u) - \int_D \nabla\phi \cdot \nabla u = \underbrace{\oint_{\partial D} (\phi\,\nabla u) \cdot n\,ds}_{=0} - \int_D \nabla\phi \cdot \nabla u . $$ Another integration by parts gives $$ \int_D \nabla\phi \cdot \nabla u = \int_D \nabla\cdot(\nabla\phi \, u) - \int_D \Delta\phi \, u = \underbrace{\oint_{\partial D} (\nabla\phi \, u) \cdot n\,ds}_{=0} - \int_D \Delta\phi \, u . $$

Thus, $$ \int_D \phi \, \Delta u = \int_D \Delta\phi \, u . $$

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