Dynamics of meromorphic mappings with small topological degree. II: Energy and invariant measure (Q633000)

In the article under review, the authors continue their study from [Indiana Univ. Math. J. 59, No. 2, 521--562 (2010; Zbl 1234.37039)] of the dynamics of meromorphic mappings with small topological degree on complex surfaces. They consider a meromorphic self-map \(f\) of a compact Kähler surface \((X, \omega)\), which is ``1-stable'', (meaning that the induced action \(f^*: H^{1,1}(X) \to H^{1,1}(X)\) satisfies \((f^n)^* = (f^*)^n\) for all \(n\in\mathbb N\)), and with ``small topological degree'', that is its topological degree is strictly smaller than its first dynamical degree. In [loc. cit.], the authors constructed for such a map two positive closed \((1,1)\) currents \(T^+\) and \(T^-\), proving that, under the additional assumption of \(X\) being projective, such currents have special geometric properties, namely \(T^+\) is laminar and \(T^-\) is woven. In this article, the authors use the notion of ``relative finite energy'' of two positive closed currents, that is, given \(S= \alpha + dd^c \varphi\) and \(T=\beta + dd^c \psi\) positive closed currents, \(S\) has ``finite \(T\)-energy'' if there exists an unbounded convex increasing function \(\chi:(-\infty, 0] \to (-\infty, 0]\) such that \(\chi\circ \varphi\in L^1(\alpha\wedge T)\), and the ``weighted energy'' \(\int \chi'\circ \varphi d\varphi \wedge d^c\varphi\wedge T\) is finite. Then they prove that, under the hypothesis that the map \(f\) has ``finite dynamical energy'', i.e., \(T^+\) and \(T^-\) have finite relative energy, the wedge product \(T^+\wedge T^-\) is well defined and gives a positive measure \(\mu_f\), invariant and mixing, which has no mass on pluripolar sets. Moreover, if \(X\) is projective, \(\mu_f\) is described by the geometric intersection of the laminar/woven structures of \(T^+\) and \(T^-\). The authors show that their assumptions are satisfied for example when the surface has Kodaira dimension 0, and for maps induced by polynomial endomorphisms of \(\mathbb{C}^2\). They also prove that for a \(1\)-stable meromorphic self-map of a compact Kähler surface, with small topological degree, and such that \(T^+\in L^1(T^-)\), either the map has finite dynamical energy, or \(\mu_f = T^+\wedge T^-\) gives mass to a pluripolar set. Examples violating the finite dynamical energy condition have been found by \textit{X. Buff} [Ann. Fac. Sci. Toulouse, Math. (6) 20, No. 1, 203--214 (2011; Zbl 1234.37037)]. The authors also develop a general framework for intersections of positive closed \((1,1)\)-currents with finite relative energy on a compact Kähler surface.