A nonlinear elliptic system for maps from Hermitian to Riemannian manifolds and rigidity theorems in Hermitian geometry (Q1309359)

The authors introduce and study here the so-called Hermitian harmonic map from a Hermitian into a Riemannian manifold as a solution of a nonlinear elliptic system of equations (H). In the particular Kählerian case this notion is equivalent with the harmonic map notion. In the general Hermitian case, a holomorphic map does not need to be harmonic but it follows it is Hermitian harmonic. The existence problem for (H) is solved under the negativity condition on the image curvature. An example given here shows that this condition is also necessary. The Dirichlet problem associated with (H) is studied. The paper ends with some applications to complex geometry, as for instance the extension of \textit{Y.-T. Siu's} rigidity theorems [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 112, 73-111 (1980; Zbl 0517.53058)].