Global existence theorems for harmonic maps to nonlocally compact spaces (Q1381004)

This paper is the second in the authors' study of harmonic mapping theory into general target spaces of nonpositive curvature. In this paper, the authors establish global existence theorems related to the nonlocal compactness of the target. For example, let \(X\) be an NPC space, that is, a length space of nonpositive curvature in the sense of Alexandrov, and \(\Gamma\) a discrete group. Suppose that \(\Gamma\) is the fundamental group of a compact Riemannian manifold \(M\) and acts isometrically on \(X\) through a group homomorphism \(\rho: \Gamma \to\text{Isom} (X)\). Then the authors prove that if the action of \(\Gamma\) on \(X\) is proper, then there exists an equivariant, Lipschitz harmonic map \(u: \widetilde M\to X\), where \(\widetilde M\) is the universal covering of \(M\).