We study supersymmetric harmonic maps from the point of view of integrable system. It is well known that harmonic maps from R^2 into a symmetric space are solutions of a integrable system . We show here that the superharmonic maps from R^{2|2} into a symmetric space are solutions of a integrable system, more precisely of a first elliptic integrable system in the sense of C.L. Terng and that we have a Weierstrass-type representation in terms of holomorphic potentials (as well as of meromorphic potentials). In the end of the paper we show that superprimitive maps from R^{2|2} into a 4-symmetric space give us, by restriction to R^2, solutions of the second elliptic system associated to the previous 4-symmetric space.
We study the relation between the Laplacian associated to an odd metric on a supermanifold and harmonic superfunctions, through the application of the calculus of variations to a supersymmetric sigma model.
Harmonic maps from Riemann surfaces arise from a conformally invariant variational problem. Therefore, on one hand, they are intimately connected with moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces, and on the other hand, because the conformal group is noncompact, constitute a prototype for the formation of singularities, the so-called bubbles, in geometric analysis. In theoretical physics, they arise from the nonlinear $σ$-model of quantum field theory. That model possesses a supersymmetric extension, coupling a harmonic map like field with a nonlinear spinor field. In the physical model, that spinor fiel…
We construct explicit examples of Dirac-harmonic maps $(ϕ, ψ)$ between Riemannian manifolds $(M,g)$ and $(N,g')$ which are non-trivial in the sense that $ϕ$ is not harmonic. When $\dim M=2$, we also produce examples where $ϕ$ is harmonic, but not conformal, and $ψ$ is non-trivial.
We prove Liouville theorems for Dirac-harmonic maps from the Euclidean space $\R^n$, the hyperbolic space $\H^n$ and a Riemannian manifold $\mathfrak{S^n}$ ($n\geq 3$) with the Schwarzschild metric to any Riemannian manifold $N$.
In this paper, we first study the $α-$energy functional, Euler-Lagrange operator and $α$-stress energy tensor. Second, it is shown that the critical points of $α-$ energy functional are explicitly related to harmonic maps through conformal deformation. In addition, an $α-$harmonic map is constructed from any smooth map between Riemannian manifolds under certain assumptions. Next, we determine the conditions under which the fibers of horizontally conformal $α-$ harmonic maps are minimal submanifolds. Then, the stability of any $α-$harmonic map from a Riemannian manifold to a Riemannian manifold…
We study Dirac-harmonic maps from surfaces to manifolds with torsion, which is motivated from the superstring action considered in theoretical physics. We discuss analytic and geometric properties of such maps and outline an existence result for uncoupled solutions.
Motivated from the action functional for bosonic strings with extrinsic curvature term we introduce an action functional for maps between Riemannian manifolds that interpolates between the actions for harmonic and biharmonic maps. Critical points of this functional will be called interpolating sesqui-harmonic maps. In this article we initiate a rigorous mathematical treatment of this functional and study various basic aspects of its critical points.
We extend the well-known Sacks-Uhlenbeck energy gap result (1981) for harmonic maps from closed Riemann surfaces into closed Riemannian manifolds from the case of maps with small energy (thus near a constant map), to the case of harmonic maps with high absolute energy but small energy relative to a reference harmonic map.
In the paper, we study variation formulas for transversally harmonic maps and bi-harmonic maps, respectively. We also study the transversal Jacobi field along a map and give several relations with infinitesimal automorphisms.
In this paper, we study the existence of harmonic and bi-harmonic maps into Riemannian manifolds admitting a conformal vector field, or a nontrivial Ricci solitons.
J. Eells and L. Lemaire introduced k-harmonic maps, and Wang Shaobo showed the first variational formula. When, k=2, it is called biharmonic maps (2-harmonic maps). There have been extensive studies in the area. In this paper, we consider the relationship between biharmonic maps and k-harmonic maps, and show non-existence theorem of 3-harmonic maps. We also give the definition of k-harmonic submanifolds of Euclidean spaces, and study k-harmonic curve in Euclidean spaces. Futhermore, we give a conjecture for k-harmonic submanifolds of Euclidean spaces.
Both bi-harmonic map and $f$-harmonic map have nice physical motivation and applications. In this paper, by combination of these two harmonic maps, we introduce and study $f$-bi-harmonic maps as the critical points of the $f$-bi-energy functional $\frac{1}{2}\int_M f|τ(ϕ)|^2dv_{g}$. This class of maps generalizes both concepts of harmonic maps and bi-harmonic maps. We first derive the $f$-biharmonic map equation and then use it to study $f$-bi-harmonicity of some special maps, including conformal maps between manifolds of same dimensions, some product maps between direct product manifold and s…
In this note, we investigate estimates of the Morse index for F-harmonic maps into spheres, our results extend partially those obtained in ([14]) and ([15]) for harmonic and p-harmonic maps.
Conformal harmonic maps from a 4-dimensional conformal manifold to a Riemannian manifold are maps satisfying a certain conformally invariant fourth order equation. We prove a general existence result for conformal harmonic maps, analogous to the Eells-Sampson theorem for harmonic maps. The proof uses a geometric flow and relies on results of Gursky-Viaclovsky and Lamm.
In this paper, we extend the definition of p-harmonic and p-biharmonic maps between Riemannian manifolds. We present some new properties for the generalized stable p-harmonic maps.
We introduce a heat flow associated to half-harmonic maps, which have been introduced by Da Lio and Rivière. Those maps exhibit integrability by compensation in one space dimension and are related to harmonic maps with free boundary. We consider a new flow associated to these harmonic maps with free boundary which is actually motivated by a rather unusual heat flow for half-harmonic maps. We construct then weak solutions and prove their partial regularity in space and time via a Ginzburg-Landau approximation. The present paper complements the study initiated by Struwe and Chen-Lin.
$α$-Dirac-harmonic maps are variations of Dirac-harmonic maps, analogous to $α$-harmonic maps that were introduced by Sacks-Uhlenbeck to attack the existence problem for harmonic maps from surfaces. For $α>1$, the latter are known to satisfy a Palais-Smale condtion, and so, the technique of Sacks-Uhlenbeck consists in constructing $α$-harmonic maps for $α>1$ and then letting $α\to 1$. The extension of this scheme to Dirac-harmonic maps meets with several difficulties, and in this paper, we start attacking those. We first prove the existence of nontrivial perturbed $α$-Dirac-harmonic maps when …
The CR analogue of B.-Y. Chen's conjecture on pseudo biharmonic maps will be shown. Pseudo biharmonic, but not pseudo harmonic, isometric immersions with parallel pseudo mean curvature vector fields, will be characterized. Several examples of pseudo biharmonic maps will be given.
In this note, we show that some F-harmonic maps into spheres are global maxima of the variations of their energy functional on the conformal group of the sphere. Our result extends partially those obtained in [15] and [17] for harmonic and p-harmonic maps.
$\infty$-Harmonic maps are a generalization of $\infty$-harmonic functions. They can be viewed as the limiting cases of p-harmonic maps as p goes to infinity. In this paper, we give complete classifications of linear and quadratic $\infty$-harmonic maps from and into a sphere, quadratic $\infty$-harmonic maps between Euclidean spaces. We describe all linear and quadratic $\infty$-harmonic maps between Nil and Euclidean spaces, between Sol and Euclidean spaces. We also study holomorphic $\infty$-harmonic maps between complex Euclidean spaces.
J.Eells and L. Lemaire introduced k-harmonic maps, and T. Ichiyama, J. Inoguchi and H.Urakawa showed the first variation formula. In this paper, we give the second variation formula of k-harmonic maps, and show non-existence theorem of proper k-harmonic maps into a Riemannian manifold of non-positive curvature (k >= 2). We also study k-harmonic maps into the product Riemannian manifold, and describe the ordinary differential equations of 3-harmonic curves and 4-harmonic curves into a sphere, and show their non-trivial solutions.
We study the transversally harmonic maps between foliated Riemannian manifolds. In particular, we prove that under some curvature conditions, any transversally harmonic map is transversally totally geodesic.
In this paper, we give some rigidity results for both harmonic and pseudoharmonic maps from CR manifolds into Riemannian manifolds or Kahler manifolds. Some basicity, pluriharmonicity and Siu-Sampson type results are established for both harmonic maps and pseudoharmonic maps.
Characterizations for Riemannian submersions to be harmonic or biharmonic are shown. Examples of biharmonic but not harmonic Riemannian submersions are shown.
We factorize harmonic maps with values in a semisimple Lie groups in a product of harmonic maps with values in the components of the Iwasawa decomposition. In particular, we use this factorization to study the harmonic maps from $\mathbb{R}^n$ into $SL(2,\mathbb{R})$.
By using Moser's iteration technique, we show some removable singularity theorem of the tension field for biharmonic maps into manifolds of non-positive curvature, and the bubbling theorem of biharmonic maps and also harmonic maps.
In this paper, we prove that the class of bi-f-harmonic maps and that of f-biharmonic maps from a conformal manifold of dimension not equal to 2 are the same (Theorem 1.1). We also give several results on nonexistence of proper bi-f-harmonic maps and f-biharmonic maps from complete Riemannian manifolds into nonpositively curved Riemannian manifolds. These include: any bi-f-harmonic map from a compact manifold into a non-positively curved manifold is f-harmonic (Theorem 1.6), and any f-biharmonic (respectively, bi-f-harmonic) map with bounded f and bounded f-bienrgy (respectively, bi-f-energy) …
We prove a sharp criterion on the decay of the tension of almost harmonic maps from degenerating surfaces that ensures that such maps subconverge to a limiting object that is made up entirely of harmonic maps.
We propose a new notion called \emph{infinity-harmonic maps}between Riemannain manifolds. These are natural generalizations of the well known notion of infinity harmonic functions and are also the limiting case of $p$% -harmonic maps as $p\to \infty $. Infinity harmoncity appears in many familiar contexts. For example, metric projection onto the orbit of an isometric group action from a tubular neighborhood is infinity harmonic. Unfortunately, infinity-harmonicity is not preserved under composition. Those infinity harmonic maps that always preserve infinity harmonicity under pull back are call…
We relate the existence problem of harmonic maps into $S^2$ to the convex geometry of $S^2$. On one hand, this allows us to construct new examples of harmonic maps of degree 0 from compact surfaces of arbitrary genus into $S^2$. On the other hand, we produce new example of regions that do not contain closed geodesics (that is, harmonic maps from $S^1$) but do contain images of harmonic maps from other domains. These regions can therefore not support a strictly convex function. Our construction builds upon an example of W. Kendall, and uses M. Struwe's heat flow approach for the existence of ha…
We prove uniqueness of equivariant harmonic maps into irreducible symmetric spaces of non-compact type and Euclidean buildings associated to isometric actions by Zariski dense subgroups.
Harmonic morphisms are maps between Riemannian manifolds that pull back harmonic functions to harmonic functions. These maps are characterized as horizontally weakly conformal harmonic maps and they have many interesting links and applications to several areas in mathematics (see the book by Baird and Wood for details). In this paper, we study generalized harmonic morphisms which are defined to be maps between Riemannian manifolds that pull back harmonic functions to biharmonic functions. We obtain some characterizations of generalized harmonic morphisms into a Euclidean space and give two met…
The heat flow for Dirac-harmonic maps on Riemannian spin manifolds is a modification of the classical heat flow for harmonic maps by coupling it to a spinor. It was introduced by Chen, Jost, Sun, and Zhu as a tool to get a general existence program for Dirac-harmonic maps. For source manifolds with boundary they obtained short time existence and the existence of a global weak solution was established by Jost, Liu, and Zhu. We prove short time existence of the heat flow for Dirac-harmonic maps on closed manifolds.
In this paper, we consider transversally harmonic maps between Riemannian manifolds with Riemannian foliations. In terms of the Bochner techniques and sub-Laplacian comparison theorem, we are able to establish a generalization of the Schwarz lemma for transversally harmonic maps of bounded generalized transversal dilatation. In addition, we also obtain a Schwarz type lemma for transversally holomorphic maps between Kähler foliations.
4-harmonic and ES-4-harmonic maps are two generalizations of the well-studied harmonic map equation which are both given by a nonlinear elliptic partial differential equation of order eight. Due to the large number of derivatives it is very difficult to find any difference in the qualitative behavior of these two variational problems. In this article we prove that finite energy solutions of both 4-harmonic and ES-4-harmonic maps from Euclidean space must be trivial. However, the energy that we require to be finite is different for 4-harmonic and ES-4-harmonic maps pointing out a first differen…
In this paper, we investigate the stability problem of subelliptic harmonic maps with potential. First, we derive the first and second variation formulas for subelliptic harmonic maps with potential. As a result, it is proved that a subelliptic harmonic map with potential is stable if the target manifold has nonpositive curvature and the Hessian of the potential is nonpositive definite. We also give Leung type results which involve the instability of subelliptic harmonic maps with potential when the target manifold is a sphere of dimension $\geq 3$.
Our purpose is to use a Darboux homogenous derivative to understand the harmonic maps with values in homogeneous space. We present a characterization of these harmonic maps from the geometry of homogeneous space. Furthermore, our work covers all type of invariant geometry in homogeneous space.
Shoen and Uhlenbeck showed that ``tangent maps'' can be defined at singular points of energy minimizing maps. Unfortunately these are not unique, even for generic boundary conditions. Examples are discussed which have isolated singularities with a continuum of distinct tangent maps.
In this paper, we investigate subelliptic harmonic maps with potential from noncompact complete sub-Riemannian manifolds corresponding to totally geodesic Riemannian foliations. Under some suitable conditions, we give the gradient estimates of these maps and establish a Liouville type result.
We study the existence of harmonic maps and Dirac-harmonic maps from degenerating surfaces to non-positive curved manifold via the scheme of Sacks and Uhlenbeck. By choosing a suitable sequence of $α$-(Dirac-)harmonic maps from a sequence of suitable closed surfaces degenerating to a hyperbolic surface, we get the convergence and a cleaner energy identity under the uniformly bounded energy assumption. In this energy identity, there is no energy loss near the punctures. As an application, we obtain an existence result about (Dirac-)harmonic maps from degenerating (spin) surfaces. If the energie…
We generalize the Uhlenbeck-Segal theory for harmonic maps into compact semi-simple Lie groups to general Lie groups equipped with torsion free bi-invariant connection.
We find algebraic parametrizations of extended solutions of harmonic maps of finite uniton number from a surface to the orthogonal group O(n) in terms of free holomorphic data which lead to formulae for all such harmonic maps. Our work reveals an interesting correspondence between certain harmonic maps and the free Weierstrass representation of null curves and minimal surfaces in 3- and 4-space.
We extend many known results for harmonic maps from the 2-sphere into a Grassmannian to harmonic maps of finite uniton number from an arbitrary Riemann surface. Our method relies on a new theory of nilpotent cycles arising from the diagrams of F.E.~Burstall and the second author associated to such harmonic maps; these properties arise from a criterion for finiteness of the uniton number found recently by the authors with A.~Aleman. Applications include a new classification result on minimal surfaces of constant curvature and a constancy result for finite type harmonic maps.
We study the blow-up analysis and qualitative behavior for a sequence of harmonic maps with free boundary from degenerating bordered Riemann surfaces with uniformly bounded energy. With the help of Pohozaev type constants associated to harmonic maps defined on degenerating collars, including vertical boundary collars and horizontal boundary collars, we establish a generalized energy identity.
Non-polynomial growth harmonic maps from the complex plane to the hyperbolic space are studied. Some non-surjectivity results are obtained. Moreover, images of such harmonic maps are investigated with reference to their Hopf differentials.
We prove that when assuming suitable non-degeneracy conditions equivariant harmonic maps into symmetric spaces of non-compact type depend in a real analytic fashion on the representation they are associated to. The main tool in the proof is the construction of a family of deformation maps which are used to transform equivariant harmonic maps into maps mapping into a fixed target space so that a real analytic version of the results in \cite{EellsLemaire} can be applied.
