No label defined (Q3973983)

[For the entire collection see Zbl 0722.00043.] Let \(u_ 0: (M,g)\to(N,h)\) be a smooth map of compact Riemannian manifolds. The solution \(u(t,x)\) of the parabolic system \[ \tau(u)=\partial u/\partial t,\qquad u(0,x)=u_ 0(x)\tag{1} \] (where \(\tau\) denotes the tension field of \(u\)) converges to a harmonic map \(u_ \infty\) as \(t\to +\infty\), if \(\hbox{Riem} N\leq0\). The situation is rather more complicated for positively curved \(N\); generalizing an example of \textit{J.-M. Coron} and \textit{J.-M. Ghidaglia} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 308, No. 12, 339-344 (1988; Zbl 0679.58017)], the authors present the following important Theorem. Assume that \(M\) has no boundary, \(dim M\geq3\). Let \(\mathcal F\) be any nontrivial homotopy class in \(C(M,N)\) with \[ E_{\mathcal F}=\inf\{E(u)\mid u\in{\mathcal F}\cap W^{1,2}(M,N)\}=0. \] Then there exists \(\varepsilon>0\) such that if \(u_ 0\in{\mathcal F}\) and the energy \(E(u_ 0)<\varepsilon\) then the solution of (1) blows up in finite time.