Rigidity estimates for isometric and conformal maps from \(\mathbb{S}^{n-1}\) to \(\mathbb{R}^n\) (Q2172461)

The paper handles the classical theme of stability of isometric, and conformal maps, among Sobolev maps from \(S^{n-1}\) into \(\mathbb{R}^n\), as considered in the fifties and sixties by M.A. Lavrentiev, P.P. Belinskii and Yu. G. Reshetnyak, including the case of the Liouville problem in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) under more regularity. The bibliography of the comprehensive book by \textit{Yu. G. Reshetnyak} [Stability theorems in geometry and analysis. Translated from the Russian by N. S. Dairbekov and V. N. Dyatlov. Revised and updated translation. rev. and updated transl. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers (1994; Zbl 0925.53005)], fairly quotes the main contributions in the subject from its beginnings till the time of its publication. In the paper under review, that represents a remarkable contribution to the subject, it is considered stability aspects in both linear and nonlinear cases. The core of the paper consists of six major theorems, with some corollaries, and three appendices. The authors center their focus mostly in the case \(n=3\), for which they show, through concrete examples, why the estimates are optimal in the corresponding norms indicating extensions for higher dimensions. The first result, Theorem 1.1, presents a version of the well known theorem by J. Liouville, in case if \(S^{n-1}\) into itself, which assures that isometric and conformal maps are rigid. The second result, Theorem 1.2, introduces, in the isometric case, extra deficits, first a \(L^2\)-isometric deficit for penalizing local stretches, and second an isoperimetrical deficit, to take into account the distortion of the image of the sphere, through them the author handles the isometric case for mappings in \(W^{1,2}(S^2;\mathbb{R}^3)\). This result holds true when \(n=2\) and the mappings satisfy and apriori estimate (Proposition 3.2). For the proof of Theorem 1.2 the authors use a generalized version of Wente's isoperimetric inequality, see [\textit{H. C. Wente}, J. Math. Anal. Appl. 26, 318--344 (1969; Zbl 0181.11501)], to first obtain a local version, and then their fundamental Lemma 3.9. The case for dimensions \(n \ge 4\), also in isometric case, is dealt in the third result, Theorem 1.3. The conformal case, \(n=3\), is handled in Theorem 1.4, whose proof, is initially presented in its local version, that consist of first restricting to the case of maps \(W^{1,2}\)-close to the identity on \(S^2\) and a linearization of the problem. After taking into account the key step, namely, Theorem 4.10, corresponding to a coercivity estimate of a certain quadratic form associated with a combined conformal-isoperimetric deficit, altogether with several involved steps, the authors complete the proof of the local version, from where, through previously proven lemmas, the full proof of Theorem 1.4 follows. Theorem 1.5 in the case \(n=3\) is Theorem 4.10, used in the proof of Theorem 1.4, but for \(n \ge 4\) one has to use a more involved estimation altogether with a serie of identities and with previous lemmas. The authors compare their Theorem 1.5 with Korn's inequality, for the symetrized trace-free gradient operator, see e.g., [\textit{G. Acosta} and \textit{R. G. Durán}, Divergence operator and related inequalities. New York, NY: Springer (2017; Zbl 1394.35001)]. Finally, for the proof of Theorem 1.8, the authors introduce a full L-isometric deficit and use the \(L\)-isometric deficit and use the infinitesimal rigidity of the sphere, see e.g. [\textit{M. Spivak}, A comprehensive introduction to differential geometry. Vol. V. 2nd ed. Berkeley: Publish or Perish, Inc (1979; Zbl 0439.53005)], what allows them to proceed as in the proof of Theorem 1.5 leading to the conclusion of the result. The first appendix contains an intrinsic new proof of Liouville's Theorem, the second appendix presents a derivatiion of some integral identities for Jacobians, the Taylor expansions of the geometric quantities used in the article and a proof of Korn's identity. For the sake of ampler readability some basic facts from the theory of spherical harmonics are included in the final appendix.