On a generalized 1-harmonic equation and the inverse mean curvature flow

We introduce and study generalized 1-harmonic equations (1.1). Using some ideas and techniques in studying 1-harmonic functions from Wei (2007) [1], and in studying nonhomogeneous 1-harmonic functions on a cocompact set from Wei (2008) [2, (9.1)], we find an analytic   quantity ww in the generalized 1-harmonic equations (1.1) on a domain in a Riemannian nn-manifold that affects the behavior of weak solutions of (1.1), and establish its link with the geometry   of the domain. We obtain, as applications, some gradient bounds and nonexistence results for the inverse mean curvature flow, Liouville theorems for pp-subharmonic functions of constant pp-tension field, p≥np≥n, and nonexistence results for solutions of the initial value problem of inverse mean curvature flow.