On infinitesimal and local rigidity of harmonic maps between spheres defined by spherical harmonics (Q797850)

Theorem: Any full homothetic minimal immersion f: \(S^ 2\to S^ n\) (Euclidean n-sphere) is locally rigid. Examples of such maps are the eigenmaps, whose \(n+1\) components are spherical harmonics on \(S^ 2\) associated to a given eigenvalue of the Laplacian. An example is given of a locally rigid but not infinitesimally rigid harmonic map \(S^ 3\to S^ 4\).