Sobolev embeddings into BMO, VMO, andL ∞

LetX be a rearrangement-invariant Banach function space onR ⁿ and letV ¹ X be the Sobolev space of functions whose gradient belongs toX. We give necessary and sufficient conditions onX under whichV ¹ X is continuously embedded into BMO or intoL _∞. In particular, we show thatL _{n, ∞} is the largest rearrangement-invariant spaceX such thatV ¹ X is continuously embedded into BMO and, similarly,L _{n, 1} is the largest rearrangement-invariant spaceX such thatV ¹ X is continuously embedded intoL _∞. We further show thatV ¹ X is a subset of VMO if and only if every function fromX has an absolutely continuous norm inL _{n, ∞} . A compact inclusion ofV ¹ X intoC ⁰ is characterized as well.