Holomorphic functions unbounded on curves of finite length (Q261437)

The article presents an affirmative solution to the problem whether a pseudoconvex domain \(D\) in \(\mathbb C^N\), \(N\geq 2\), contains a complete closed complex hypersurface. The paper can be considered as an extension of the author's paper [Ann. Math. (2) 182, No. 3, 1067--1091 (2015; Zbl 1333.32018)], where he answered the above question for the unit ball \(\mathbb B_N\) in \(\mathbb C^N\), \(N\geq 2\). The main idea is the construction of a holomorphic function \(f\) on \(D\) with the property that \(\{\mathrm{Re }f(p(t))|\,0\leq t<1\}\) is unbounded for every path \(p:[0,1)\rightarrow D\) of finite length with \(\overline{\{p(t)\mid 0\leq t<1\}}\cap \partial D\not=\emptyset\). The hypersurfaces \(f^{-1}(c)\), with \(c\) a regular value of \(f\), finish the problem. The main result of the paper is more precise: Let \(D=\bigcup_{n=1}^\infty D_n\) be an exhaustion of \(D\) by open, relatively compact subsets, \(D_n\subset\subset D_{n+1}\) for all \(n\in\mathbb N\). Let \((A_n)_{n\in\mathbb N}\) be an increasing sequence in \(\mathbb N\) and \(L\in\mathbb R\). There is a holomorphic function \(f\) on \(D\) with the following property: If \(\mathrm{Re }f(p(t))\leq L\) for \(0\leq t\leq 1\), \(p:[0,1]\rightarrow D\) a path with \(p(0)\in D_1\), then for almost all \(n\in\mathbb N\) the length of \(p\) exceeds \(A_n\) if \(p(1)\in D\backslash D_n\). The proof is based on methods from convex geometry and results from the paper quoted above. The problem is reduced to the case \(D=\mathbb C^N\) using the existence of a proper holomorphic map from the Stein manifold \(D\) into \(\mathbb C^{2N+1}\).