From holomorphic functions to complex manifolds (Q4530633)

The book is an essentially extended and modified version of the classical monograph ``Several complex variables'' (Springer 1976; Zbl 0381.32001) by the same authors. The first three chapters contain basic theory of holomorphic functions of several complex variables. In Chapter I, ``Holomorphic functions'', the authors present power series, complex differentiability, weakly holomorphic and holomorphic functions, the Cauchy integral, the Cauchy-Riemann equations, and some elementary facts concerning analytic sets. Chapter II, ``Domains of holomorphy'', presents the continuity principle, holomorphic convexity, pseudoconvexity, Riemann domains over \(\mathbb C^n\), and envelopes of holomorphy. In the first part of Chapter III, ``Analytic sets'', the authors present Weierstrass division and preparation theorems and some algebraic properties of the ring of germs of holomorphic functions. In the second part they study branched coverings and the decomposition of analytic sets. Chapter IV, ``Complex manifolds'', is devoted to the presentation of the theory of complex manifolds and complex fiber bundles. The authors also present here some elements of cohomology theory (restricted to the first and second cohomology groups), meromorphic functions and divisors, quotients, branched Riemann domains, modifications, and toric closures. Chapter V, ``Stein theory'', presents a new, original approach to the Levi problem. The main sections of this chapter are the following: Stein manifolds (Cousin-I and Cousin-II distributions, Chern class and exponential sequence, extension from submanifolds, unbranched domains of holomorphy, the embedding theorem, the Serre problem), the Levi form, pseudoconvexity, cuboids, special coverings (cuboid coverings, the bubble method, finiteness of cohomology, holomorphic convexity, negative line bundles, bundles over Stein manifolds), the Levi problem. The last two chapters presents various aspects of modern complex analysis. Some results are given without proof. The presentation has sometimes survey character. The following detailed list of sections illustrates the range of these two chapters. VI. ``Kähler manifolds'': differential forms (the exterior algebra, forms of type \((p,q)\), bundles of differential forms), Dolbeault theory (integration of differential forms, the inhomogeneous Cauchy formula, the \(\overline\partial\)-equation in one variable, a theorem of Hartogs, Dolbeault's lemma, Dolbeault groups), Kähler metrics (Hermitian metrics, the fundamental form, geodesic coordinates, local potentials, pluriharmonic functions, the Fubini metric, deformations), the inner product (the volume element, the star operator, the effect on \((p,q)\)-forms, the global inner product, currents), Hodge decomposition (adjoint operators, the Kählerian case, bracket relations, the Laplacian, harmonic forms), Hodge manifolds (negative line bundles, special holomorphic cross sections, projective embeddings, Hodge metrics), applications (period relations, the Siegel upper halfplane, semipositive line bundles, Moishezon manifolds). VII. ``Boundary behavior'': strongly pseudoconvex manifolds, subelliptic estimates (Sobolev spaces, the Neumann operator, real-analytic boundaries, examples), Nebenhüllen, boundary behavior of biholomorphic maps (the one-dimensional case, the theory of Henkin and Vormoor, Fefferman's result, mappings, the Bergman metric). The whole text is illustrated by various, carefully chosen, examples and exercises. The monograph is strongly recommended to everybody interested in modern complex analysis, both for students and researchers.