Proper harmonic maps from hyperbolic Riemann surfaces into the Euclidean plane (Q1758372)

In this paper, using arguments from minimal surface theory, the authors give an alternative proof of the following existence theorem: For any compact Riemann surface \(\Sigma\) and for any finite collection \(D_1,\ldots,D_n\) of pairwise disjoint closed disks in \(\Sigma\), there exists a proper harmonic map \(\Omega\to \mathbb{R}^2\) where \(\Omega\) is a hyperbolic surface containing \(\Sigma\setminus \bigcup_{i=1}^n D_i\). In fact, \(\Omega\) can be chosen as close as necessary to \(\Sigma\setminus \bigcup_{i=1}^n D_i\). (In particular, it has its topological type). In the case where \(\Sigma\) is planar, they obtain the following stronger result: For any domain \(\Omega\subset \mathbb{C}\), there exists a proper harmonic map from \(\Omega\) into the Euclidean plane. The existence of maps produced in the paper under review follows from the work in [\textit{B. Drinovec Drnovšek} and \textit{F. Forstnerič}, Duke Math. J. 139, No. 2, 203--253 (2007; Zbl 1133.32002)]. The methods in the paper are different, and they use Runge's classical approximation theory.