On \(p\)-harmonic maps and convex functions (Q2268179)

It is well known, and easy to prove, that the composition of a harmonic map between Riemannian manifolds with a convex function defines a subharmonic function. In this paper the author proves the existence of a family of examples of \(p\)-harmonic maps, with \(p>2\), and of convex functions, which composition does not give a \(p\)-subharmonic function. Given \(p\) such that \((n+1)>p>\max\{2,n\}\), and two rotationally symmetric \((n+1)\)-dimensional Riemannian manifolds \(M_g\) and \(N_j\), the space \([0, +\infty)\times \mathbb{S}^n\) with metrics \(ds^2+ g^2(s)d\theta^2\) and \(dt^2+ j^2(t)d\theta^2\) respectively, where \[ g(s)=(s+\delta^{-\frac{1}{\delta-1}})^{\delta}-\delta^{-\frac{\delta}{\delta-1}},\quad j(t)=(t+\sigma^{\frac{1}{1-\sigma}})^{\sigma} -\sigma^{\frac{\sigma}{1-\sigma}}, \] with \(\delta>(p-n)^{-1}>1\) and \(0<\sigma <1\), there exist a \(C^2\) rotationally symmetric \(p\)-harmonic map \(F:M_g\to N_j\) and a sequence \(s_k\) of real numbers going to infinity such that \(\Delta_p(H\circ F)=\mathrm{div}(|\nabla (H\circ F)|^{p-2}\nabla (H\circ F))\) is negative along points \((s_k,\theta)\), for every rotationally symmetric convex function \(H(t,\theta)=h(t)\) of \(N_j\) satisfying \(h'(t)>0\) for \(t>0\).