On infinitesimal behavior of the Kobayashi distance (Q1318484)

The question of whether the Kobayashi distance between two adjacent points in a pseudo-convex domain can be realized by the Poincaré distance on a single analytic disk joining the two points is studied. It is shown that the condition forces the Kobayashi indicatrix to be convex. Examples of pseudo-convex domains on which this condition fails to hold are given. The (infinitesimal form of) Kobayashi metric is shown to be a directional derivative of the Kobayashi distance. It is shown that if the condition in the above question holds near any point of a pseudo-convex domain and if the Kobayashi metric is a complete Finsler metric of class \({\mathcal C}^ 2\), then the Kobayashi distance between any two points in the domain can indeed be realized by the Poincaré distance on a single analytic disk joining the two points.