Manifold constrained non-uniformly elliptic problems (Q1985326)

The authors consider the problem of minimizing variational integrals defined on nonlinear Sobolev spaces of competitors taking values into the sphere. The aim of this paper is to prove regularity results for constrained local minimizers of double-phase functionals. This paper further develops the ideas introduced in [\textit{P. Baroni} et al., Calc. Var. Partial Differ. Equ. 57, No. 2, Paper No. 62, 48 p. (2018; Zbl 1394.49034)] to get general regularity methods for non-autonomous functionals and also simplifies some of the arguments presented there. Moreover, the techniques considered here provide new results also in the unconstrained case. The paper is structured as follows. At the beginning of the article, the authors give a detailed review on this topic. Next, they establish some basic energy and higher integrability inequalities adapting the path developed in [\textit{M. Colombo} and \textit{G. Mingione}, Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 218, No. 1, 219--273 (2015; Zbl 1325.49042)] to the manifold constrained case. Moreover, the authors derive the precise form of the Euler-Lagrange equation of functionals of the type of variational integrals and readapt a Morrey-type decay estimate originally proved in [loc. cit.]. Further, they develop an intrinsic harmonic-type approximation result (compactness lemma). The main novelty is that the energy bounds and the approximation are given directly in the intrinsic terms of a Musielak-Orlicz energy, rather that a more typical Orlicz one. This incorporates the regularity information on the solutions indeed developed in [Zbl 1394.49034; Zbl 1325.49042]. The final outcome is a treatment which is close to the classical one proposed by \textit{L. Simon} [Lectures on regularity and singularities of harmonic maps. Basel: Birkhäuser (1996)] in the case of harmonic maps. Finally, the authors develop the arguments concerning the Hausdorff-type measures.