Monotonicity for p-harmonic vector bundle-valued k-forms

Abstract

We investigate monotonicity properties of $p$-harmonic vector bundle-valued $k$-forms by studying the energy-momentum tensor associated with such a form. As a consequence, we obtain a unified proof of the monotonicity formul{\ae} for $p$-harmonic maps and Yang-Mills connections, proving a monotonicity formula for $p$-Yang-Mills connections in the process. Moreover, it is shown how this technique may be adapted to yield an analogous monotonicity formula for Yang-Mills-Higgs pairs. Finally, we obtain Liouville-type theorems for such forms and Yang-Mills-Higgs pairs as an application.