Some remarks on energy inequalities for harmonic maps with potential (Q2407400)

In this paper, the author studies geometric generalizations of the nonlinear Poisson equation \(\Delta u = f(u)\). Let \(\varphi: (M, g) \to (N, h)\) be a \(C^1\)-map and let \(V : N \to {\mathbb R}\) be a smooth function on \(N\). The author considers the following energy functional \[ E(\varphi) = \int_M \left(\frac{1}{2}|d\varphi|^2 - V(\varphi)\right)\, dv_g. \] The Euler-Lagrange equation of the functional above is given by \[ \tau(\varphi) = - \nabla V(\varphi), \] where \(\tau(\varphi)\) is the tension field of \(\varphi\). Solutions of this Euler-Lagrange equation are called harmonic maps with potential. First, the author obtains a gradient estimate on harmonic maps with potential. More precisely, assume that \(\text{Ric}_M - \text{Hess}(V(\varphi)) \geq - A_V\) and the sectional curvature of \(N\), \(K_N \leq B\). If the image of \(\varphi\), \(\varphi(M)\subset B_R(y_0)\) with \(0< R < \frac{\pi}{2\sqrt{d}}\) and \(B < d\), then \[ |d\varphi|^2 \leq C \left(A_V + \frac{\sqrt{d}|\nabla V|}{\cos (\sqrt{d}\rho)}\right), \] where \(\rho\) is the distance function on \(M\). When \(M\) has nonnegative Ricci curvature and \(V(\varphi)\) is concave, this is reduced to a Modica-type estimate in [\textit{L. Modica}, Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 38, 679--684 (1985; Zbl 0612.35051)]. Next, the author studies a monotonicity for harmonic maps with potential. Monotonicity formulas for harmonic maps with potential with the domain being a Riemannian manifold have been established in [\textit{H. Lin} et al., J. Geom. Phys. 62, No. 9, 1939--1948 (2012; Zbl 1244.35023)]. In this paper, the author also shows a monotonicity-type formula for harmonic maps with potential. As an application of monotonicity-type formula, the author proves a Liouville Theorem. If \(M\) has nonnegative Ricci curvature and \(N\) has nonpositive sectional curvature, and if \(\varphi: M \to N\) is a harmonic map with potential with finite energy, then \(\varphi\) is constant when \(V\) is concave and \((M, g)\) is complete.