Mapping \(B^n\) into \(B^{2n-1}\) (Q5944957)

Let \(B^n\) be the unit ball in \(\mathbb{C}^n\). We are interested in the equivalent classes of proper holomorphic maps from \(B^n\) to \(B^N\), up to the automorphism groups of both \(B^n\) and \(B^N\). It is well known that there is no such map if \(n>N\). On the other hand, for the following maps from \(B^n\) to \(B^{2n}\), which are given by D'Angelo and which are defined by \(F_t[(z_1,\dots ,z_n)]=(z_1,\dots ,z_{n-1}, \cos tz_n,\sin tz_nz_1,\dots ,\sin tz_nz_n)\) it can be proved that \(F_t\) is equivalent to \(F_s\) if and only if \(t=s\) in \([0,2\pi)\). For \(n>2\), \(N<2n\) with the restriction that the maps are \(C^2\) up to the boundary, by one of the author (Huang's) earlier works we know that, for \(N<2n-1\) the natural embedding of \(B^n\) to \(B^N\) is the only class, and for \(N=2n-1\) the maps must be given by rational functions. In the paper under review, the authors complete this gap by showing that there are only two equivalent classes, i.e. the natural embedding of \(B^n\) to \(B^{2n-1}\) and the Whitney map which is defined by \(W[(z_1, \dots ,z_n)]=(z_1,\dots ,z_{n-1},z_nz_1, \dots ,z_nz_n)\). The proof is based on the huge automorphism group of \(B^n\), Chern-Moser theory and also some new ideas which are introduced to simplify the higher order terms. Also by Faran's results, with the assumption of \(C^3\) regularity, there are 4 classes of proper holomorphic maps from \(B^2\) to \(B^3\).