Topology and Sobolev spaces (Q4512583)

Let \(W^{1,p}(M,N)\) be the Sobolev space, \(M\) and \(N\) being compact manifolds. The authors aim is to determine whether or not \(W^{1,p}(M,N)\) is path-connected and, in case when it is not, to characterize its path-connected components, that is, \(W^{1,p}\)-homotopy classes. The first result stated is the following: 1) In the case \(p\geq\text{dim} M\), the space \(W^{1,p}(M,N)\) is path connected if and only if \(C^0(M,N)\) is path-connected. More profound result is as follows: 2) Let dim\( M \geq 2\) and \(1\leq p\leq 2\). Then \(W^{1,p}(M,N)\) path connected. Some other statements are also given. The authors formulate also some conjectures, for example: Given \(u\in W^{1,p}(M,N)\) (any \(1\leq p<\infty\), any \(M\), any \(N\)), there exists a \(v\in C^\infty(M,N)\) and a path \(u^t\in C([0,1],W^{1,p}(M,N))\) such that \(u^0=u\) and \(u^1=v\).