An improved uniqueness result for the harmonic map flow in two dimensions (Q956656)

The author considers weak solutions \(u\in H^1(M\times [0,T],N)\) of the harmonic map flow \(\partial_tu-\Delta u= A(u)(\nabla u, \nabla u)\), where \(M\) is a compact two-dimensional manifold without boundary, and \(N\) is an arbitrary compact manifold immersed into an Euclidean space with second fundamental form \(A\). Assuming that \(\overline{\lim}_{s\searrow t}E(u(s))<E(u(t))+ \varepsilon_2\) holds \(\forall t<T\) for the energy-function \(E(u(t))\), where \(\varepsilon_2\) is a convenient positive constant depending only on \(N\) and satisfying \(\varepsilon_2\leq \varepsilon^*\), uniqueness of the solution is obtained (and it is the \textit{M. Struwe} solution [Comment. Math. Helv. 60, 558--581 (1985; Zbl 0595.58013)]) for a given initial condition \(u_0\in H^1(M,N)\), generalizing a result of \textit{A. Freire} [Calc. Var. Partial Differ. Equ. 3, No.~1, 95--105 (1995; Zbl 0814.35057)] that requires a strong condition on the energy of \(u(t)\), namely a monotonicity condition, \(E(u(t))\geq E(u(s))\) for \(t\leq s\). Under the weaker condition \(\varepsilon_2=\varepsilon^*\), a geometrical constant of \(N\), and the additional condition that the energy-function \(E(u(t))\) has finite total variation, uniqueness of the solution is still obtained, giving a positive answer to a conjecture of Topping. The proof consists of showing that, for each time \(t_0\), \(M\) can be covered with balls \(B_r(x_i)\) with \(E(u(t),B_{2r}( x_i))\) \(\leq \varepsilon_1^2\) and such that \(\nabla u \in L^4 (M\times I)\) ( \(I\) suitable interval containing \(t_0\)) and then using the uniqueness theorem of Struwe [op. cit.] and Freire [op. cit.].