Abstract: A harmonic morphism F : M --> N between two riemannian manifolds M and N is a map which pulls back local harmonic functions on N to local harmonic functions on M. Although the problem was posed by Jacobi in 1848, the systematic study of these objects only began in the 1980's. After a general overview, we will concentrate on the case where N is two-dimensional: then F yields a (singular) foliation of M by minimal submanifolds.
This talk will be accessible to general faculty.