Steins, affines and Hilbert's fourteenth problem (Q1825913)

Let U be Zariski open in X, an affine normal variety of finite type over \({\mathbb{C}}\). Let \(U^{an}\) be the analytic form of U. This paper shows that: (1) if X is smooth, then \(U^{an}\) is Stein iff U is affine, (2) if \(U^{an}\) is Stein, and if \(\Gamma\) (U,\({\mathcal O}_ U)\) is a finitely generated \({\mathbb{C}}\)-algebra, then U is affine, (3) the condition on \(\Gamma\) (U,\({\mathcal O}_ U)\) in (2) cannot be removed. For this, a 3-dimensional quasi-affine, not affine U such that \(U^{an}\) is Stein is constructed. Hence: \(\Gamma\) (U,\({\mathcal O}_ U)\) is not finitely generated, after (2). This gives a Stein counterexample to Zariski's version of Hilbert's 14th problem.