Removable singularities for nonlinear subequations

Abstract: We study the problem of removable singularities for degenerate elliptic equations. Let F be a fully nonlinear second-order partial differential subequation of degenerate elliptic type on a manifold X. We study the question: Which closed subsets E in X have the property that every F-subharmonic function (subsolution) on X-E, which is locally bounded across E, extends to an F-subharmonic function on X. We also study the related question for F-harmonic functions (solutions) which are continuous across E. Main results assert that if there exists a convex cone subequation M such that F+M is contained in F, then any closed set E which is M-polar has these properties. To be M-polar means that E = {f = -\infty} where f is M-subharmonic on X and smooth outside of E. Many examples and generalizations are given. These include removable singularity results for all branches of the complex and quaternionic Monge-Ampere equations, and a general removable singularity result for the harmonics of geometrically defined subequations. For pure second-order subequations in R^n with monotonicity cone M, the Riesz characteristic p = p(M) is introduced, and extension theorems are proved for any closed singular set E of locally finite Hausdorff (p-2)-measure (or, more generally, of (p-2)-capacity zero). This applies for example to branches of the equation s_k(D^2 u) = 0 (kth elementary function) where p(M) = n/k. For convex cone subequations themselves, several removable singularity theorems are proved, independent of the results above.