Fractional Sobolev spaces and topology (Q2470072)

The main aim of the paper is to determine whether or not \[ W^{s,p}(M, N)= \{u\in W^{s,p}(M, \mathbb{R}^\ell)\mid u(x)\in N\text{ a.e.}\} \] is path connected and if not, when two elements \(u\) and \(v\) in \(W^{s,p}(M, N)\) can be continuously connected in \(W^{s,p}(M,N)\). Here \(M\) and \(N\) are compact connected smooth boundaryless Riemannian manifolds, \(1\leq p<\infty\), \(s> 0\) and \(W^{s,p}\) is the Sobolev class.