Fine properties of branch point singularities: Dirichlet energy minimizing multi-valued functions

Abstract

In the early 1980's Almgren developed a theory of Dirichlet energy minimizing multi-valued functions, proving that the Hausdorff dimension of the singular set (including branch points) of such a function is at most $(n-2),$ where $n$ is the dimension of its domain. Almgren used this result in an essential way to show that the same upper bound holds for the dimension of the singular set of an area minimizing $n$-dimensional rectifiable current of arbitrary codimension. In either case, the dimension bound is sharp. We develop estimates to study the asymptotic behaviour of a multi-valued Dirichlet energy minimizer on approach to its singular set. Our estimates imply that a Dirichlet energy minimizer at ${\mathcal H}^{n-2}$ a.e. point of its singular set has a unique set of homogeneous multi-valued cylindrical tangent functions (blow-ups) to which the minimizer, modulo a set of single-valued harmonic functions, decays exponentially fast upon rescaling. A corollary is that the singular set is countably $(n-2)$-rectifiable. Our work is inspired by the work of L. Simon on the analysis of singularities of minimal submanifolds in multiplicity 1 classes, and uses some new estimates and strategies together with techniques from Wickramasekera's prior work to overcome additional difficulties arising from higher multiplicity and low regularity of the minimizers in the presence of branch points. The results described here were announced in earlier work of the authors where the special case of two-valued Dirichlet minimizing functions was treated.