arXiv subjects

John C. Wood

Publications and source records attributed to John C. Wood.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2022

Diagrams and harmonic maps, revisited

We extend many known results for harmonic maps from the 2-sphere into a Grassmannian to harmonic maps of finite uniton number from an arbitrary Riemann surface. Our method relies on a new theory of nilpotent cycles arising from the diagrams of F.E.~Burstall and the second author associated to such harmonic maps; these properties arise from a criterion for finiteness of the uniton number found recently by the authors with A.~Aleman. Applications include a new classification result on minimal surfaces of constant curvature and a constancy result for finite type harmonic maps.

math.DG↗

arXiv2019

Symmetric shift-invariant subspaces and harmonic maps

The Grassmannian model represents harmonic maps from Riemann surfaces by families of shift-invariant subspaces of a Hilbert space. We impose a natural symmetry condition on the shift-invariant subspaces that corresponds to considering an important class of harmonic maps into symmetric and $k$-symmetric spaces. In particular, we obtain new general forms for such symmetric shift-invariant subspaces and for the corresponding extended solutions.

math.FA↗

arXiv2019

Harmonic maps and shift-invariant subspaces

We investigate in detail the connection between harmonic maps from Riemann surfaces into the unitary group $\U(n)$ and their Grassmannian models: these are families of shift-invariant subspaces of $L^2(S^1,\C^n)$. With the help of operator-theoretic methods we derive a criterion for finiteness of the uniton number which has a large number of applications discussed in the paper.

math.FA↗

arXiv2018

Harmonic maps into the orthogonal group and null curves

We find algebraic parametrizations of extended solutions of harmonic maps of finite uniton number from a surface to the orthogonal group O(n) in terms of free holomorphic data which lead to formulae for all such harmonic maps. Our work reveals an interesting correspondence between certain harmonic maps and the free Weierstrass representation of null curves and minimal surfaces in 3- and 4-space.

math.DG↗

arXiv2014

Harmonic maps into the exceptional symmetric space $G_2/SO(4)$

We show that a harmonic map from a Riemann surface into the exceptional symmetric space $G_2/{\mathrm SO}(4)$ has a $J_2$-holomorphic twistor lift into one of the three flag manifolds of $G_2$ if and only if it is `nilconformal', i.e., has nilpotent derivative. Then we find relationships with almost complex maps from a surface into the 6-sphere; this enables us to construct examples of nilconformal harmonic maps into $G_2/{\mathrm SO}(4)$ which are not of finite uniton number, and which have lifts into any of the three twistor spaces. Harmonic maps of finite uniton number are all nilconformal; for such maps, we show that our lifts can be constructed explicitly from extended solutions.

math.DG↗

arXiv2013

New constructions of twistor lifts for harmonic maps

We show that given a harmonic map $φ$ from a Riemann surface to a classical compact simply connected inner symmetric space, there is a $J_2$-holomorphic twistor lift of $φ$ (or its negative) if and only if it is nilconformal. In the case of harmonic maps of finite uniton number, we give algebraic formulae in terms of holomorphic data which describes their extended solutions. In particular, this gives explicit formulae for the twistor lifts of all harmonic maps of finite uniton number from a surface to the above symmetric spaces.

math.DG↗

arXiv2010

Filtrations, factorizations and explicit formulae for harmonic maps

We use filtrations of the Grassmannian model to produce explicit algebraic formulae for all harmonic maps of finite uniton number from a Riemann surface, and so all harmonic maps from the 2-sphere, to the unitary group for a general class of factorizations by unitons. We show how these specialize to give explicit formulae for such harmonic maps to each of the classical compact Lie groups and their inner symmetric spaces - the nonlinear sigma-model of particle physics. Our methods also give an explicit Iwasawa decomposition of the algebraic loop group.

math.DG↗

arXiv2010

Harmonic morphisms and bicomplex manifolds

We use functions of a bicomplex variable to unify the existing constructions of harmonic morphisms from a 3-dimensional Euclidean or pseudo-Euclidean space to a Riemannian or Lorentzian surface. This is done by using the notion of complex-harmonic morphism between complex-Riemannian manifolds and showing how these are given by bicomplex-holomorphic functions when the codomain is one-bicomplex dimensional. By taking real slices, we recover well-known compactifications for the three possible real cases. On the way, we discuss some interesting conformal compactifications of complex-Riemannian manifolds by interpreting them as bicomplex manifolds.

math.DG↗

arXiv2009

All harmonic 2-spheres in the unitary group, completely explicitly

We give a completely explicit formula for all harmonic maps of finite uniton number from a Riemann surface to the unitary group U(n) in any dimension, and so all harmonic maps from the 2-sphere, in terms of freely chosen meromorphic functions on the surface and their derivatives, using only combinations of projections and avoiding the usual dbar-problems or loop group factorizations. We interpret our constructions using Segal's Grassmannian model, giving an explicit factorization of the algebraic loop group, and showing how to obtain harmonic maps into a Grassmannian.

math.DG↗

arXiv2001

Jacobi fields along harmonic 2-spheres in ${\bf C}P^2$ are integrable

We show that any Jacobi field along a harmonic map from the 2-sphere to the complex projective plane is integrable (i.e., is tangent to a smooth variation through harmonic maps). This provides one of the few known answers to this problem of integrability, which was raised in different contexts of geometry and analysis. It implies that the Jacobi fields form the tangent bundle to each component of the manifold of harmonic maps from $S^2$ to ${\bf C}P^2$ thus giving the nullity of any such harmonic map; it also has bearing on the behaviour of weakly harmonic $E$-minimizing maps from a 3-manifold to ${\bf C}P^2$ near a singularity and the structure of the singular set of such maps from any manifold to ${\bf C}P^2$.

math.DG↗

arXiv2001

A new construction of Einstein self-dual metrics

We give a new construction of Ricci-flat self-dual metrics which is a natural extension of the Gibbons--Hawking ansatz. We also give characterisations of both these constructions, and explain how they come from harmonic morphisms.

math.DG↗

arXiv2001

Harmonic morphisms with one-dimensional fibres on Einstein manifolds

We prove that, from an Einstein manifold of dimension greater than or equal to five, there are just two types of harmonic morphism with one-dimensional fibres. This generalizes a result of R.L. Bryant who obtained the same conclusion under the assumption that the domain has constant curvature.

math.DG↗

arXiv2001

Jacobi fields along harmonic maps

We show that Jacobi fields along harmonic maps between suitable spaces preserve conformality, holomorphicity, real isotropy and complex isotropy to first order; this last being one of the key tools in the proof by Lemaire and the author of integrability of Jacobi fields along harmonic maps from the 2-sphere to the complex projective plane.

math.DG↗

arXiv2000

Topological restrictions for circle actions and harmonic morphisms

Let $M^m$ be a compact oriented smooth manifold which admits a smooth circle action with isolated fixed points which are isolated as singularities as well. Then all the Pontryagin numbers of $M^m$ are zero and its Euler number is nonnegative and even. In particular, $M^m$ has signature zero. Since a non-constant harmonic morphism with one-dimensional fibres gives rise to a circle action we have the following applications: (i) many compact manifolds, for example $CP^{n}$, $K3$ surfaces, $S^{2n}\times P_g$ ($n\geq2$) where $P_g$ is the closed surface of genus $g\geq2$ can never be the domain of a non-constant harmonic morphism with one-dimensional fibres whatever metrics we put on them; (ii) let $(M^4,g)$ be a compact orientable four-manifold and $ϕ:(M^4,g)\to(N^3,h)$ a non-constant harmonic morphism. Suppose that one of the following assertions holds: (1) $(M^4,g)$ is half-conformally flat and its scalar curvature is zero, (2) $(M^4,g)$ is Einstein and half-conformally flat, (3) $(M^4,g,J)$ is Hermitian-Einstein. Then, up to homotheties and Riemannian coverings, $ϕ$ is the canonical projection $T^4\to T^3$ between flat tori.

math.DG↗

arXiv1999

Harmonic morphisms and the Jacobi operator

We prove that harmonic morphisms preserve the Jacobi operator along harmonic maps. We apply this result to prove infinitesimal and local rigidity (in the sense of Toth) of harmonic morphisms to a sphere.

math.DG↗