One-harmonic maps on Riemann surfaces (Q1911815)

The authors study the harmonicity problem for an ``antiholomorphic energy functional'' on a compact Riemann surface \(R\) given by \(T_\partial (g, h, \phi) = \int_R |\partial \psi |dv_g\) where \(g\), \(h\) are Hermitian metrics on \(R\) and \(\phi : R \to R\) is a smooth map of \(R\) into itself. This functional has a symmetry property with respect to the inversion of the map. If \(R\) has negative curvature then in any homotopy class containing an orientation preserving diffeomorphism there exists a unique critical point. The functional is related to Lagrangian area minimizing maps, the Teichmüller theory and the abelian vortex equation. The same functional is related to a distance defined by an invariant Lorentzian metric and the authors obtain the exponential coordinates for such a metric. The Euler-Lagrange equation becomes linear in these coordinates and it coincides with the equation of orthogonality to the orbits of the diffeomorphism group \(\mathcal D\) of the surface. This Lorentz metric is related to the Weil-Pedersen metric and then the Weil-Pedersen geodesics are obtained only in terms of the hyperbolic geometry of the surface.