Harmonic maps from closed Riemannian manifolds with positive scalar curvature (Q884006)

Using the Bochner technique, the author proves a theorem which may be seen as a complement to Liouville type theorems. Let \(M^m\) be a closed Riemannian manifold with scalar curvature \(R>0\), and \(N\) a complete Riemannian manifold of non-positive sectional curvature. If there is a non-constant harmonic map \(\phi:M\to N\), then \[ \int_M{1\over R}\Big({R^2\over m(m-1)}-| E| ^2\Big)| d\phi| \leq0, \] where \(E\) denotes the trace-free Ricci tensor. Equality holds if and only if \(R\) is constant and the universal cover of \(M\) is \(\mathbb R\times M'\) for some Einstein manifold \(M'\) of constant positive scalar curvature \(R\).