A regularity theorem for harmonic maps with small energy (Q1089649)

The main result of the paper is a removable singularity theorem for harmonic maps u of the unit ball \(B\subset {\mathbb{R}}^ n\), \(n>2\), into a compact submanifold N of \({\mathbb{R}}^ k\). Namely, the author shows that there exists a constant \(\epsilon >0\) independent of u such that if u is a harmonic map belonging to \(C^{\infty}(B\setminus \{0\},N)\) and the energy E(u)\(\leq \epsilon\) then \(u\in C^{\infty}(B,N)\). The proof is based on a monotonicity inequality for the energy and a priori estimates for harmonic maps obtained by \textit{R. Schoen} and \textit{K. Uhlenbeck} [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 113, 1-24 (1981; Zbl 0462.58014)] and \textit{R. Schoen} [Seminar on nonlinear partial differential equations, Publ., Math. Sci. Res. Inst. 2, 321-358 (1984; Zbl 0551.58011)] for \(n=2\).