Stein spaces with plurisubharmonic bounded exhaustion functions (Q2433986)

Let \(X\) be a reduced complex space with countable topology. An upper semicontinuous function \(\varphi : X\to\mathbb R\) is said to be exhaustive if setting \(c_\#:= \sup_X\varphi\) one has: for any \(c\in (-\infty, c_\#\)), the set \(\{x\in X; \varphi(x) <c\}\) is relatively compact in \(X\). If \(c_\#\in\mathbb R\) (resp., \(c_\# = 0\)), then \(\varphi\) is called a bounded exhaustion function (resp., a negative exhaustion function). A deep result due to Fornaess and Narasimhan, which improves the well-known characterization of Stein spaces due to Grauert and Narasimhan, states that a complex space \(X\) is Stein if and only if there exists a strictly plurisubharmonic exhaustion function \(\varphi : X\to \mathbb R\). In this circle of ideas the following question seems natural: Let \(X\) be a Stein space admitting a plurisubharmonic bounded exhaustion function, not necessarily continuous. Does there exist a bounded exhaustion function on \(X\) which is strictly plurisubharmonic and \(C^\infty\)-smooth? The main result of the paper answers positively this question. Let us recall some standard terminology. According to Stehlé, Stein spaces admitting continuous plurisubharmonic negative exhaustion functions are called hyperconvex spaces. They enjoy nice geometric properties, however, in certain concrete situations, one has to deal with Stein spaces that admit bounded exhaustion functions which are plurisubharmonic but not continuous; such spaces are subsequently called weakly hyperconvex spaces. The main theorem of the paper states that a complex space is hyperconvex if and only if it is weakly hyperconvex. To this theorem the author gives several applications. Besides the fact that it considerably simplifies the proofs in [\textit{N. Mok}, Math. Ann. 266, 433--447 (1984; Zbl 0574.32021)] (especially those involving discontinuous plurisubharmonic negative exhaustion functions), the author notes the following two propositions: (i) Any weakly hyperconvex space is hyperbolic (in the sense of Kobayashi) and taut. (ii) Let \(X\) be an irreducible weakly hyperconvex space of dimension \(n\) such that \(H_n(X,\mathbb Z)\) has finite positive rank. Then the automorphism group \(\Aut(X)\) of \(X\) is compact. Moreover, if \(f\in \text{Hol}(X, X)\) is injective and induces an isomorphism on \(H_n(X,\mathbb Z)\), then \(f\) is biholomorphic. A few examples of hyperconvex spaces are given, and special exhaustion functions are considered.