On the regularity of harmonic maps from $\mathsf{RCD}(K,N)$ to $\mathsf{CAT}(0)$ spaces and related results

Abstract

For an harmonic map $u$ from a domain $U\subset \mathrm{X}$ in an $\mathsf{RCD}(K,N)$ space $\mathrm{X}$ to a $\mathsf{CAT}(0)$ space $\mathrm{Y}$ we prove the Lipschitz estimate \[ {\rm Lip}(u|_B)\leq \frac {C(K^-R^2,N)}r\inf_{{\sf o}\in {\rm Y}}\,\sqrt{\frac1{{\mathfrak m}(2B)}\int_{2B}{\sf d}_{\rm Y}^2(u(\cdot),{\sf o})\, {\rm d}{\mathfrak m}}, \qquad \forall 2B\subset U \] where $r\in (0,R)$ is the radius of $B$. This is obtained by combining classical Moser's iteration, a Bochner-type inequality that we derive (guided by recent works of Zhang-Zhu) together with a reverse Poincaré inequality that is also established here. A direct consequence of our estimate is a Lioville-Yau type theorem in the case $K=0$. Among the ingredients we develop for the proof, a variational principle valid in general $\mathsf{RCD}$ spaces is particularly relevant. It can be roughly stated as: if $(\mathrm{X},\mathsf{d},\mathfrak{m})$ is $\mathsf{RCD}(K,\infty )$ and $f\in C_b(\mathrm{X})$ is so that $\Delta f\le C$ for some constant $C>0$, then for every $t>0$ and $\mathfrak{m}$-a.e.\ $x\in \mathrm{X}$ there is a unique minimizer $F_t(x)$ for $y\mapsto f(y)+\frac{{\mathsf{d}}^2(x,y)}{2t}$ and the map $F_t$ satisfies \[ (F_t)_*{\mathfrak m}\leq e^{t(C+2K^-{\sf Osc}(f))}{\mathfrak m},\qquad\text{where}\qquad {\sf Osc}(f):=\sup f-\inf f. \] Here existence is in place without any sort of compactness assumption and uniqueness should be intended in a sense analogue to that in place for Regular Lagrangian Flows and Optimal Maps (and is related to both these concepts). Finally, we also obtain a Rademacher-type result for Lipschitz maps between spaces as above.