Smoothing q-convex functions and vanishing theorems (Q1071905)

It is well known that the supremum of a finite number of p.s.h. functions (1-convex functions) is again p.s.h. but that is not true in general for q-convex functions with \(q>1\). This paper shows nevertheless that if a complex manifold M has a continuous exhaustion function which is, outside a compact set K, locally the supremum of a finite number of \(C^{\infty}\) q-convex functions, then the manifold M is \(\hat q-\)convex (in the sense of Andreotti-Grauert) with \(\hat q=n-[\frac{n}{q}]+1\) where \(n=\dim_{{\mathbb{C}}}M.\) Moreover, if \(K=\emptyset\) M is \(\hat q-\)complete. This leads to interesting new vanishing theorems. (For the singular case see, by the same authors, Math. Ann. 273, 665-671 (1986; see the following review)).