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Karen Uhlenbeck

Publications and source records attributed to Karen Uhlenbeck.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2025

Analytic properties of Stretch maps and geodesic laminations

In a 1998 preprint, Bill Thurston outlined a Teichmuller theory for hyperbolic surfaces based on maps between surfaces which minimize the Lipschitz constant (minimum stretch or best Lipschitz maps). In this paper we continue the analytic investigation which we began in our previous paper. In the spirit of the construction of infinity-harmonic functions, we produce best Lipschitz maps u as limits p goes to infinity of minimizers of p-Schatten integrals (p-Schatten harmonic maps) in a fixed homotopy class between hyperbolic surfaces. We address existence and regularity of p-Schatten harmonic maps with the latter, due to higher degeneracies, being significantly harder than for ordinary p- harmonic maps. Moreover, we construct Lie algebra valued dual functions which minimize a dual q-Schatten integral and limit as q goes to 1 to a locally defined, Lie algebra valued function v of bounded variation. One of the main results of the paper is the surprising fact that the support of the measure dv (the derivative of v) lies on the canonical geodesic lamination constructed by Thurston and further studied by Gueritaud-Kassel. In the sequel paper we will show how these Lie algebra valued measures induce a transverse measure on the canonical lamination and relate to other aspects of Thurston theory.

math.DG↗
arXiv2024

Best Lipschitz maps and Earthquakes

This is the third paper in a series in which we prove Thurston's conjectural duality between best Lipschitz maps and transverse measures. In the second paper we found a special class of best Lipschitz maps between hyperbolic surfaces (infinity harmonic maps), which induce dual Lie algebra valued transverse measures with support on Thurston's canonical lamination. The present paper examines these Lie algebra valued measures in greater detail. For any measured lamination we are led to define a Lie algebra valued measure and conversely every Lie algebra valued transverse measure arrises from this process. Furthermore, we show that such measures are infinitesimal earthquakes. This construction provides a natural correspondence between best Lipschitz maps and earthquakes.

math.DG↗
arXiv2022

Transverse Measures and Best Lipschitz and Least Gradient Maps

We exhibit the duality between best Lipschitz (infinity harmonic) maps and least gradient maps in the case of maps from surfaces to the circle. We show that given a homotopy class of a map from a surface to the circle the infinity harmonic map defines a geodesic lamination on the surface and the dual least gradient map defines a transverse measure on the lamination. This is the initial step towards an analytic approach to Thurston's work on best Lipschitz maps between hyperbolic surfaces and Thurston's asymmetric metric on Teichmueller space.

math.DG↗
arXiv2014

Tau function and Virasoro action for the nxn KdV hierarchy

This is the third in a series of papers attempting to describe a uniform geometric framework in which many integrable systems can be placed. A soliton hierarchy can be constructed from a splitting of an infinite dimensional group $L$ as positive and negative subgroups L_+, L_- and a commuting sequence in the Lie algebra of L_+. Given f in L_-, there is a formal inverse scattering solution u_f of the hierarchy. When there is a 2 co-cycle that vanishes on both subalgebras of L_+ and L_-, Wilson constructed for each f in L_- a tau function tau_f for the hierarchy. In this third paper, we prove the following results for the nxn KdV hierarchy: (1) The second partials of ln(tau_f) are differential polynomials of the formal inverse scattering solution u_f. Moreover, u_f can be recovered from the second partials of ln(tau_f). (2) The natural Virasoro action on ln(tau_f) constructed in the second paper is given by partial differential operators in ln(tau_f). (3) There is a bijection between phase spaces of the nxn KdV hierarchy and the Gelfand-Dickey (GD_n) hierarchy on the space of order n linear differential operators on the line so that the flows in these two hierarchies correspond under the bijection. (4) Our Virasoro action on the nxn KdV hierarchy is constructed from a simple Virasoro action on the negative group. We show that it corresponds to the known Virasoro action on the GD_n hierarchy under the bijection.

nlin.SI↗
arXiv2014

Tau functions and Virasoro actions for soliton hierarchies

There is a general method for constructing a soliton hierarchy from a splitting of a loop group as a positive and a negative sub-groups together with a commuting linearly independent sequence in the positive Lie subalgebra. Many known soliton hierarchies can be constructed this way. The formal inverse scattering associates to each f in the negative subgroup a solution u_f of the hierarchy. When there is a 2 co-cycle of the Lie algebra that vanishes on both sub-algebras, Wilson constructed a tau function tau_f for each element f in the negative subgroup. In this paper, we give integral formulas for variations of ln(tau_f) and second partials of ln(tau_f), discuss whether we can recover solutions u_f from tau_f, and give a general construction of actions of the positive half of the Virasoro algebra on tau functions. We write down formulas relating tau functions and formal inverse scattering solutions and the Virasoro vector fields for the GL(n,\C)-hierarchy.

math.DG↗
arXiv2014

The nxn KdV flows

We introduce a new integrable system hierarchy which is a restriction of the AKNS nxn hierarchy coming from an unusual splitting of the loop algebra. This splitting comes from an automorphism of the loop algebra instead of an automorphism of SL(n,C). It is known that the 2x2 KdV is the standard KdV hierarchy.

nlin.SI↗
arXiv2014

Geometric aspects of the Kapustin-Witten equations

This expository article introduces the Kapustin-Witten equations to mathematicians. We discuss the connections between the Complex Yang-Mills equations and the Kapustin-Witten equations. In addition, we show the relation between the Kapustin-Witten equations, the moment map condition and the gradient Chern-Simons flow. The new results in the paper correspond to estimates on the solutions to the KW equations given an estimate on the complex part of the connection. This leaves open the problem of obtaining global estimates on the complex part of the connection.

math.DG↗
arXiv2006

Virasoro Actions and Harmonic Maps (after Schwarz)

The actions of a half Virasoro algebra have appeared in many integrable systems. In this paper we show that there is an action of a (Half) Virasoro algebra on the space of (2+0) harmonic maps into a Lie group. This action is generated by a natural action on the frames. A similar calculation on the space-time (1+1) harmonic maps yields formulas generated by John Schwarz.

math.DG↗
arXiv2006

On the space-time Monopole equation

The space-time monopole equation is obtained from a dimension reduction of the anti-self dual Yang-Mills equation on $\R^{2,2}$. A family of Ward equations is obtained by gauge fixing from the monopole equation. In this paper, we give an introduction and a survey of the space-time monopole equation. Included are alternative explanations of results of Ward, Fokas-Ioannidou, Villarroel and Zakhorov-Mikhailov. The equations are formulated in terms of a number of equivalent Lax pairs; we make use of the natural Lorentz action on the Lax pairs and frames. A new Hamiltonian formulation for the Ward equations is introduced. We outline both scattering and inverse scattering theory and use Bäcklund transformations to construct a large class of monopoles which are global in time and have both continuous and discrete scattering data.

math.DG↗
arXiv2003

1+1 wave maps into symmetric spaces

We explain how to apply techniques from integrable systems to construct $2k$-soliton homoclinic wave maps from the periodic Minkowski space $S^1\times R^1$ to a compact Lie group, and more generally to a compact symmetric space. We give a correspondence between solutions of the -1 flow equation associated to a compact Lie group $G$ and wave maps into $G$. We use Bäcklund transformations to construct explicit $2k$-soliton breather solutions for the -1 flow equation and show that the corresponding wave maps are periodic and homoclinic. The compact symmetric space $G/K$ can be embedded as a totally geodesic submanifold of $G$ via the Cartan embedding. We prescribe the constraint condition for the -1 flow equation associated to $G$ which insures that the corresponding wave map into $G$ actually lies in $G/K$. For example, when $G/K=SU(2)/SO(2)=S^2$, the constrained -1-flow equation associated to SU(2) has the sine-Gordon equation (SGE) as a subequation and classical breather solutions of the SGE are 2-soliton breathers. Thus our result generalizes the result of Shatah and Strauss that a classical breather solution of the SGE gives rise to a periodic homoclinic wave map to $S^2$. When the group $G$ is non-compact, the bi-invariant metric on $G$ is pseudo-Riemannian and Bäcklund transformations of a smooth solution often are singular. We use Bäcklund transformations to show that there exist smooth initial data with constant boundary conditions and finite energy such that the Cauchy problem for wave maps from $R^{1,1}$ to the pseudo-Riemannian manifold $SL(2,R)$ develops singularities in finite time.

math.DG↗
arXiv2001

On the well-posedness of the wave map problem in high dimensions

We construct a gauge theoretic change of variables for the wave map from $R \times R^n$ into a compact group or Riemannian symmetric space, prove a new multiplication theorem for mixed Lebesgue-Besov spaces, and show the global well-posedness of a modified wave map equation - $n \ge 4$ - for small critical initial data. We obtain global existence and uniqueness for the Cauchy problem of wave maps into {\it compact} Lie groups and symmetric spaces with small critical initial data and $n \ge 4$.

math.AP↗
arXiv2001

On Schrödinger maps

We study the question of well-posedness of the Cauchy problem for Schrödinger maps from $\rone \times \rtwo$ to the sphere $\stwo$ or to ${\mathbb H^2}$, the hyperbolic space. The idea is to choose an appropriate gauge change so that the derivatives of the map will satisfy a certain nonlinear Schrödinger system of equations and then study this modified Schrödinger map system (MSM). We then prove local well posedness of the Cauchy problem for the MSM with minimal regularity assumptions on the data and outline a method to derive well posedness of the Schrödinger map itself from it. In proving well posedness of the MSM, the heart of the matter is resolved by considering truly quatrilinear forms of weighted $L^2$ functions.

math.AP↗
arXiv1999

Schrodinger flows on Grassmannians

The geometric non-linear Schrodinger equation (GNLS) on the complex Grassmannian manifold M is the Hamiltonian equation for the energy functional on C(R,M) with respect to the symplectic form induced from the Kahler form on M. It has a Lax pair that is gauge equivalent to the Lax pair of the matrix non-linear Schrodinger equation (MNLS). We construct via gauge transformations an isomorphism from C(R,M) to the phase space of the MNLS equation so that the GNLS flow corresponds to the MNLS flow. The existence of global solutions to the Cauchy problem for GNLS and the hierarchy of commuting flows follows from the correspondence. Direct geometric constructions show the flows are given by geometric partial differential equations, and the space of conservation laws has a structure of a non-abelian Poisson group. We also construct a hierarchy of symplectic structures for GNLS. Under pullback, the known order k symplectic structures correspond to the order (k-2) symplectic structures that we find. The shift by two is a surprise, and is due to the fact that the group structures depend on gauge choice.

math.DG↗
arXiv1998

Bäcklund Transformations and Loop Group Actions

We construct a local action of the group of rational maps from $S^2$ to $GL(n,C)$ on local solutions of flows of the ZS-AKNS $sl(n,C)$-hierarchy. We show that the actions of simple elements (linear fractional transformations) give local Bäcklund transformations, and we derive a permutability formula from different factorizations of a quadratic element. We prove that the action of simple elements on the vacuum may give either global smooth solutions or solutions with singularities. However, the action of the subgroup of the rational maps that satisfy the U(n)-reality condition $g(\barł)^*g(ł)=I$ on the space of global rapidly decaying solutions of the flows in the $u(n)$-hierarchy is global, and the action of a simple element gives a global Bäcklund transformation. The actions of certain elements in the rational loop group on the vacuum give rise to explicit time periodic multi-solitons (multi-breathers). We show that this theory generalizes the classical Bäcklund theory of the sine-Gordon equation. The group structures of Bäcklund transformations for various hierarchies are determined by their reality conditions. We identify the reality conditions (the group structures) for the $sl(n,R)$, $u(k,n-k)$, KdV, Kupershmidt-Wilson, and Gel'fand-Dikii hierarchies. The actions of linear fractional transformations that satisfies a reality condition, modulo the center of the group of rational maps, gives Bäcklund and Darboux transformations for the hierarchy defined by the reality condition. Since the factorization cannot always be carried out under these reality condition, the action is again local, and Bäcklund transformations only generate local solutions for these hierarchies unless singular solutions are allowed.

math.DG↗
arXiv1997

Poisson Actions and Scattering Theory for Integrable Systems

Conservation laws, heirarchies, scattering theory and Bäcklund transformations are known to be the building blocks of integrable partial differential equations. We identify these as facets of a theory of Poisson group actions, and apply the theory to the ZS-AKNS nxn heirarchy (which includes the non-linear Schrödinger equation, modified KdV, and the n-wave equation). We also discuss a number of applications in geometry, including the sine-Gordon equation, harmonic maps, Schrödinger flows on Hermitian symmetric spaces, Darboux orthogonal coordinates, and isometric immerisons of one space form in another.

dg-ga↗
arXiv1995

Connected sum constructions for constant scalar curvature metrics

We give a general procedure for gluing together possibly noncompact manifolds of constant scalar curvature which satisfy an extra nondegeneracy hypothesis. Our aim is to provide a simple paradigm for making `analytic' connected sums. In particular, we can easily construct complete metrics of constant positive scalar curvature on the complement of certain configurations of an even number of points on the sphere, which is a special case of Schoen's \cite{S1} well-known, difficult construction. Applications of this construction produces metrics with prescribed asymptotics. In particular, we produce metrics with cylindrical ends, the simplest type of asymptotic behaviour. Solutions on the complement of an infinite number of points are also constructed by an iteration of our construction.

dg-ga↗