Mixed Hessian inequalities and uniqueness in the class \(\mathcal {E}(X,\omega ,m)\) (Q2339669)

Let \((M,\omega)\) be a compact Kähler manifold of dimension \(n\), and \(m\) an integer such that \(1\leq m\leq n\). A smooth function \(u\) on \(M\) is called \(m\)-subharmonic, iff in the classical sense \((dd^c u)^k\wedge\omega^{n-k}\geq 0\) for \(1\leq k\leq m\). When \(u\) is (merely) locally integrable, upper semicontinuous, then it is called \(m\)-subharmonic on \(M\) iff (i) for all smooth \(m\)-subharmonic functions \(\varphi_1,\ldots,\varphi_{m-1}\) \[ dd^c u\wedge dd^c\varphi_1\wedge\ldots\wedge dd^c\varphi_{m-1}\wedge\omega^{n-m}\geq 0 \] in the weak sense of currents, and (ii) if \(v\) is another function satisfying the above inequalities and \(u=v\) a.\,e. on \(M\), then \(u\leq v\). Now let \((X,\omega)\) be a compact Kähler manifold of dimension \(n\), \(m\) an integer such that \(1\leq m\leq n\). A function \(u:X\rightarrow{\mathbb R}\cup\{-\infty\}\) is called \(\omega\)-\(m\)-subharmonic, iff in every local chart \(\Omega\) of \(X\) the function \(\rho+u\) is \(m\)-subharmonic, where \(\rho\) is a local potential of \(\omega\). Let \({\mathcal S}{\mathcal H}_m(X,\omega)\) denote the class of \(\omega\)-\(m\)-subharmonic functions on \(X\). It can be shown that every \(u\in{\mathcal S}{\mathcal H}_m(X,\omega)\) is the limit of a decreasing sequence of smooth \(\omega\)-\(m\)-subharmonic functions. According to the ``classical pluripotential method of Bedford and Taylor'', the complex Hessian operator is defined by \(H_m(u)=(\omega+dd^c u)^m\wedge\omega^{n-m}\) for every bounded \(\omega\)-\(m\)-subharmonic function \(u\). This can be viewed as a non-negative (regular) Borel measure on \(X\). The class \({\mathcal E}(X,\omega,m)\) is defined as the set of \(u\in{\mathcal S}{\mathcal H}_m(X,\omega)\) for which \(\lim_{j\rightarrow\infty}\int_X 1_{\{u>-j\}}H_m(\max(u,-j))=\int_X\omega^n\). For \(u\in{\mathcal E}(X,\omega,m)\) it is then defined \(H_m(u)=\lim_{j\rightarrow\infty}1_{\{u>-j\}}H_m(\max(u,-j))\). The main theorem reads as follows. Let \(u, v\in{\mathcal E}(X,\omega,m)\), let \(\mu\) be a positive Radon measure vanishing on so-called \(m\)-polar sets such that \(H_m(u)\geq f\mu\), \(H_m(v)\geq g\mu\), where \(f, g\) are non-negative \(\mu\)-integrable functions. Then, for \(1\leq k\leq m-1\), one has \(\omega_u^k\wedge\omega_v^{m-k}\wedge\omega^{n-m}\geq f^{k/m}g^{(m-k)/m}\mu\). Next, using this global result, the authors prove local inequalities for Hessian measures providing thereby a simplification in the case of the complex Monge-Ampère equation. Finally, exploiting the main theorem and using ``Kołodziej's mass concentration technique'' the authors prove that if for \(u, v\in{\mathcal E}(X,\omega,m)\) it holds \(H_m(u)=H_m(v)=\mu\), where \(\mu\) is a Radon measure that vanishes on \(m\)-polar sets, then \(u-v\) is constant.