Variationally harmonic maps with general boundary conditions: boundary regularity (Q2492651)

For weakly harmonic maps \(u:M\to N\) between Riemannian manifolds (\(M\) with boundary, \(N\) compact), a rather general boundary problem is considered which generalizes both Dirichlet and free boundary problems. For given submanifolds \(\Gamma(x)\) depending smoothly on \(x\), the boundary condition is \(u(x)\in\Gamma(x)\) for almost every \(x\in\partial M\). For such a boundary value problem, a new stationarity condition is introduced: A map \(u\in H^1(M,N)\) is called variationally harmonic if the first variation of energy vanishes for all variations by maps \(u_t\) that fulfill the above boundary condition themselves. This is a rather natural stationarity condition, and it allows the derivation of a boundary monotonicity formula, which in turn enables the author to prove partial (and sometimes full) regularity of ``variational'' solutions. The impression that ``variationally harmonic'' is more natural for boundary value problems than the usual ``stationary harmonic'' is supported by the fact that full regularity is proven for variationally harmonic maps with smooth Dirichlet boundary data if \(N\) does not carry a nonconstant harmonic \(2\)-sphere. The paper generalizes work by the same author about free boundary value problems [\textit{C. Scheven}, Math. Z. 253, 135--157 (2006; Zbl 1092.53050)]. The proof combines interesting reflection constructions with the methods from [\textit{Fang-Hua Lin}, Ann. Math. (2) 149, 785--829 (1999; Zbl 0949.58017)].