A multiplicity result for the dirichlet problem for harmonic maps from the disk into a lorentzian warped product (Q3128489)

This paper is concerned with the existence and multiplicity of harmonic maps from the disk \(\Omega\) to the Lorentzian warped product \(S^2 \times_\beta \mathbb{R}\) with a given boundary condition, where \(\Omega= \{(x_1,x_2) \in\mathbb{R}^2 |x^2_1+ x^2_2<1\}\), \(S^2= \{ (x_1,x_2,x_3) \in\mathbb{R}^3 |x^2_1+ x^2_2+ x^2_3=1\}\) and \(\beta\in C^1(S^2, (0,+\infty))\). A function \(w=(u,t)\) is a harmonic map if it is a critical point of the energy functional \(E(w)= E(u,t) =\int_\Omega |\nabla u|^2 dx- \int_\Omega \beta(u) |\nabla t|^2dx\) and moreover, a critical point \(w= (u,t)\) of \(E\) is a weak solution of the Dirichlet problem for harmonic maps: \[ -\sum^2_{i=1} {\partial^2u^p \over\partial x^2_i} =|\nabla u |^2 u^p+ {1\over 2} Z^p(u) |\nabla t|^2, \quad \sum^2_{i=1} {\partial\over \partial x_i} \left[\beta (u) {\partial t\over \partial x_i} \right]= 0\text{ in } \Omega, \] \[ u=v \quad\text{and} \quad t= \tau \quad\text{on} \quad \partial\Omega, \] where \(p=1,2,3\) and \(Z(u)= \beta'(u)-(\beta'(u) |u)u\). By using a perturbed energy functional \(E_\alpha (u,t)\) \((\alpha\geq 1)\), the existence of at least two solutions in \(C^\infty (\Omega) \cap C^{2,\delta} (\overline \Omega)\) of this problem is proved, provided \(v:\partial \Omega \to S^2\) is not constant.