Holomorphic functions and embedded real surfaces (Q1280666)

It is well known that if the self-intersection index of a complex curve in a complex surface is positive, then every holomorphic function defined in a neighborhood of this curve is constant. In particular, such a curve cannot lie in a noncompact holomorphically convex domain. In \textit{S. Yu. Nemirovskii} [Math. Notes 60, No. 2, 218-221 (1996; Zbl 0909.32003)], it was shown that if a smooth complex curve \(S \subset X\) satisfies the inequality \(c_1(X)\cdot[S]\leq 0,\) then there exists an embedded real surface \(S',\) obtained as a deformation of \(S\) with a basis of Stein neighborhoods. This was used to construct Stein strictly pseudoconvex domains intersecting all complex curves in complex algebraic surfaces with nonpositive first Chern class. In this paper the author constructs a Stein domain with similar properties in arbitrary complex algebraic manifolds. Theorem 1. Let \(X\) be a complex algebraic manifold of dimension not less than two. There exists a strictly pseudoconvex Stein domain \(U\) in \(X\) such that for every complex hypersurface \(S\subset X\) the cohomology class \([S]\in H^2(U,\mathbb R)\) is nonzero. On complex surfaces with positive first Chern class \(c_1(X)\) the Stein domains of Theorem 1 are no longer neighborhoods of deformations of complex curves. It turns out that embedded real surfaces in these domains do not satisfy the genus formula. More precisely, the author proves that for strictly pseudoconvex domains in complex surfaces the following version of ``the generalized Thom conjecture'' takes place: Theorem 2. Let \(S\subset X\) be an embedded compact oriented real surface in a strictly pseudoconvex subdomain \(X\) of a two-dimensional complex manifold, and suppose that the self-intersection index \(S^2\) of \(S\) is nonnegative. Then \[ |c_1(X)\cdot[S]|+ S^2 \leq \max\{0,2g(S) - 2\}, \] where \(g(S)\) is the genus of \(S.\) In \(\mathbb CP^2\) these results are refined by using the description of pseudoconvex domains over products of projective spaces. Theorem 3. Let \(S\subset \mathbb CP^2\) be an embedded oriented real surface of degree \(d > 0\) and of genus \(g = g(S).\) An embedded surface \(S'\) isotopic to \(S\) such that there are nonconstant holomorphic functions near \(S'\) exists iff \(g \geq 1/2(d^2 +3d + 2).\) In particular, the author obtains a positive solution to the following well-known problem of A. Vitushkin: Prove that there are no nonconstant holomorphic functions in a neighborhood of an embedded 2-sphere in \(\mathbb CP^2\) that is not homologous to zero. It is obvious that this is also true for surfaces of genus 1, and 2, and for each embedded real surface that is homologous to a complex curve of the same genus.