# Techniques for studying harmonic functions in dimension $> 2$

Given $$y\in\mathbb{R}^N$$, I am trying to show that the function $$V(x) = \frac{\lvert y\rvert^2-\lvert x\rvert^2}{\lvert y-x\rvert^N}$$ is harmonic in $$\mathbb{R}^N\setminus\{y\}$$. While it is always possible to try to compute the derivatives explicitly, I wonder whether there is a more elegant proof of this fact.

This example also motivates a more general question:

How can one show that a given $$C^2$$ function $$f:\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^N\to\mathbb R$$ is harmonic?

I can give a partial answer to the question:

1. If $$f$$ is radial, then $$f$$ is harmonic iff $$f(x) = a + b\lvert x\rvert^{2-N},\quad N \neq 2,$$ $$f(x) = a + b\log\lvert x\rvert,\quad N = 2,$$ for some $$a,b\in\mathbb R$$.

2. If $$f$$ can be easily integrable on balls or spheres, one can check whether $$f$$ satisfies the mean property, i.e., $$f(x) = \frac{1}{R^{N-1}\omega_N}\int_{S_R(x)} f(y)d\sigma(y) = \frac{N}{R^N\omega_N}\int_{B_R(x)}f(z)dz.$$

3. In the case where $$N = 2$$, one can try to find a holomorphic function $$\zeta$$ such that $$f = \Re\zeta$$.

For proofs of (1) and (2), see [Folland, Chap. 2].

Finally, at least to the extent of elementary PDEs textbooks, I find that there is a significant shortage of examples of harmonic functions in dimension $$>2$$. Since these references generally only treat properties (1) - (3), none of which are very adequate for $$N > 2$$ (other than (1)). A final question would then be:

Is there a large class of useful examples of harmonic functions for dimension $$> 2$$, such as the holomorphic for $$N = 2$$?