Formal principle for reduced complex spaces with a weak positivity property (Q1062180)

Let \(X\subset W\) denote a reduced complex subspace in a complex space \(W\). The formal principle holds if, given any other such pair \(X'\subset W'\) and a formal isomorphism between the formal neighborhoods of \(X\) in \(W\) and X' in \(W'\), there is a biholomorphic map of neighborhoods of \(X\) in \(W\) and \(X'\) in \(W'\). Hirschowitz proved that the formal principle holds for a compact submanifold \(X\) in a manifold \(W\) if there are enough deformations of \(X\) in \(W\) which intersect with \(X\) [Ann. Math. (2) 113, 501--514 (1981; Zbl 0421.32029)]. The proof uses Douady spaces and Artin's approximation theorem. The present paper generalizes this result to the singular case, using essentially the same methods. We weakened Hirschowitz' hypotheses in two aspects: The smoothness condition is dropped and we only assume \(X\) to be covered by compact complex spaces which can be suitably deformed in \(W\). In particular the theorem applies to spaces \(X\) which are not necessarily compact or deformable in \(W\).