The stress-energy tensor for polyharmonic maps (Q2280398)

Biharmonic maps, as a generalization of harmonic maps, are maps between Riemannian manifolds which are critical points of the bienergy functional \(E_2(\phi)=\frac{1}{2} \int_M |\tau(\phi)|^2 dv_g\), where \(\tau(\phi)\) is the tension field of the map \(\phi\), vanishing of which means the map is a harmonic map. For some basic theory and recent progress on biharmonic maps and biharmonic submanifolds see the recent book [\textit{Y.-L. Ou} and \textit{B.-Y. Chen}, Biharmonic submanifolds and biharmonic maps in Riemannian geometry. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific (2020; Zbl 1455.53002)]. Polyharmonic maps of order \(k\) (\(k\)-polyharmonic maps for short) are the critical points of the following energy functionals: \[k=2s,\;\; E_{2s}(\phi)= \int_M |\Delta^{s-1}\tau(\phi)|^2 dv_g,\] \[k=2s+1, \;\;\;E_2(\phi)=\frac{1}{2} \int_M |\nabla\Delta^{s-1}\tau(\phi)|^2 dv_g,\] where \(s=1, 2,\dots\) are the natural numbers. The paper under review derives the stress energy tensor for \(k\)-polyharmonic maps in the spirit of the stress energy tensor of harmonic maps and that of biharmonic maps. The main result of paper shows that, similar to the cases of harmonic and biharmonic maps, the stress energy tensors of \(k\)-polyharmonic maps satisfy the conservation law: \(\operatorname{div} S_k=-\langle \tau_k(\phi), d\phi\rangle\) although the \(k\)-tension field \( \tau_k(\phi)\) takes different forms depending on the cases of even or odd number \(k\). Some similar applications of the stress energy tensor of \(k\)-polyharmonic maps are also given.