The hyperbolic geometry of the symmetrized bidisc (Q1886942)

The authors study the complex geometry of the domain \[ G=\{(z_1+z_2,z_1z_2) \mid z_1,z_2 \in \mathbb{D}\} \] where \(\mathbb{D}\) denotes the unit disc in the plane. The domain \(G\) is called the symmetrized bidisc. The main object of the article is the study of the extremal problems that define the Carathéodory and the Kobayashi distance. Let \(\Delta = \overline\mathbb{D}\) and \(T= \partial \mathbb{D}\). On \(\mathbb{D}\), the hyperbolic distance \(d\) is defined by \[ d(x,y) = \left| \frac{x-y}{1-\overline x \,y}\right| \] For \(\alpha \in \Delta\) let \(\Phi _\alpha (s, p):= \frac{2\alpha p -s}{2-\alpha s}\). Then the first main result is as follows: Theorem: The Carathéodory distance \(C_G\) on \(G\) is given by \[ C_G(z_1,z_2) = \max_{\omega \in T} d (\Phi_\omega (z_1) , \Phi_\omega (z_2)) ) \] The second main result implies that the Carathéodory distance \(C_G\) equals the Kobayashi distance \(K_G\) on \(G\), more precisely, one has: Theorem: Let \(z_1,z_2 \in G\) be distinct points and let \(\omega_0\in T\) be such that \(\Phi_{\omega_0}\) is a Carathéodory extremal function for \(z_1,z_2\). Then there exists an analytic function \(h=(s,p):\mathbb{D} \to G\) such that \(z_1,z_2 \in h(\mathbb{D})\), \(p\) is a Blaschke product of degree at most 2 and \(\Phi_{\omega_0} \circ h\) is the identity map on \(\mathbb{D}\). In particular, \(h\) solves the extremal problem by which the Kobayashi distance is defined and, furthermore, we have \(C_G=K_G\). So far, the equality \(C_G=K_G\) was known only for the class of convexifiable domains. Now \(G\) is the first example of a non-convexifiable domain, where the Carathéodory and Kobayashi distances agree.