# Singularity formation in the harmonic map flow with free boundary

## TL;DR

This paper investigates the harmonic map flow with free boundary conditions, demonstrating finite-time singularity formation with a half-harmonic map profile, thus addressing a question posed in earlier research.

## Contribution

It establishes the existence of initial data leading to finite-time blow-up in the harmonic map flow with free boundary, linking it to nonlocal equations and answering a longstanding open question.

## Key findings

- Finite-time blow-up for certain initial data.
- Profile of blow-up is a half-harmonic map.
- Connects free boundary harmonic maps to nonlocal equations.

## Abstract

In the past years, there has been a new light shed on the harmonic map problem with free boundary in view of its connection with nonlocal equations. Here we fully exploit this link, considering the harmonic map flow with free boundary \begin{equation}\label{e:main0} \begin{cases} u_t = \Delta u\text{ in }\mathbb{R}^2_+\times (0, T),\\ u(x,0,t) \in \mathbb{S}^1\text{ for all }(x,0,t)\in \partial\mathbb{R}^2_+\times (0, T),\\ \frac{du}{dy}(x,0,t)\perp T_{u(x,0,t)}\mathbb{S}^1\text{ for all }(x,0,t)\in \partial\mathbb{R}^2_+\times (0, T),\\ u(\cdot, 0) = u_0\text{ in }\mathbb{R}^2_+ \end{cases} \end{equation} for a function $u:\mathbb{R}^2_+\times [0, T)\to \mathbb{R}^2$. Here $u_0 :\mathbb{R}^2_+\to \mathbb{R}^2$ is a given smooth map and $\perp$ stands for orthogonality. We prove the existence of initial data $u_0$ such that (\ref{e:main0}) blows up at finite time with a profile being the half-harmonic map. This answers a question raised by Yunmei Chen and Fanghua Lin in Remark 4.9 of \cite{ChenLinJGA1998}.