Hermitian harmonic maps and non-degenerate curvatures (Q481143)

A classical result of \textit{Y.-T. Siu} [Ann. Math. (2) 112, 73--111 (1980; Zbl 0517.53058)] states that a harmonic map \(f\) between two compact Kähler manifolds \((M,h)\) and \((N,g)\) is holomorphic or anti-holomorphic, provided that \(N\) has strongly negative curvature and \(\text{rank}_{\mathbb{R}}df\geq 4\). Later, \textit{J. Jost} and \textit{S.-T. Yau} [Acta Math. 170, No. 2, 221--254 (1993; Zbl 0806.53064)] extended this result when the domain manifold \((M,h)\) is non-Kähler. In this interesting paper, the authors study various harmonic maps from general Hermitian manifolds and also investigate the complex analyticity of Hermitian harmonic and pluri-harmonic maps. In particular they prove the following results, which are nice extensions of results of Siu and Jost-Yau: Theorem A. Let \((M^m,h)\) be a compact Hermitian manifold with \(\partial\bar{\partial}\omega^{m-2}_h=0\) and \((N^n,g)\) a Riemannian manifold. Let \(f:(M,h)\rightarrow(N,g)\) be a Hermitian harmonic map. Then \(\text{rank}_{\mathbb{R}}df\leq 2\) if \((N,g)\) has strongly Hermitian-negative curvature. In particular, if \(\dim_{\mathbb{C}}M>1\), there is no Hermitian harmonic immersion of \(M\) into Riemannian manifolds of constant negative curvature. Theorem B. Let \(f:M\rightarrow(N,g)\) be a pluri-harmonic map from a compact complex manifold \(M\) to a compact Kähler manifold \((N,g)\). Then it is holomorphic or anti-holomorphic if \((N,g)\) has non-degenerate curvature and \(\text{rank}_{\mathbb{R}} df\geq 4\). In particular, when \((N,g)\) has strongly negative curvature and \(\text{rank}_{\mathbb{R}} df\geq 4\), then \(f\) is holomorphic or anti-holomorphic. Theorem C. Let \(f:M\rightarrow(N,g)\) be a pluri-harmonic map from a compact complex manifold \(M\) to a Riemannian manifold \((N,g)\). If the Riemannian curvature \(R^g\) of \((N,g)\) is Hermitian non-degenerate at some point \(p\), then \(\text{rank}_{\mathbb{R}} df(p)\leq 2\).