Towards Oka-Cartan theory for algebras of holomorphic functions on coverings of Stein manifolds. I. (Q888928)

Summary: We develop complex function theory within certain algebras of holomorphic functions on coverings of Stein manifolds. This, in particular, includes the results on holomorphic extension from complex submanifolds, corona-type theorems, properties of divisors, holomorphic analogs of the Peter-Weyl approximation theorem, Hartogs-type theorems, characterization of uniqueness sets. The model examples of these algebras are: {\parindent=0,8cm \begin{itemize}\item[(1)] Bohr's algebra of holomorphic almost periodic functions on tube domains; \item[(2)] algebra of all fibrewise bounded holomorphic functions (e.g., arising in the corona problem for \(H^\infty\)). \end{itemize}} Our approach is based on an extension of the classical Oka-Cartan theory to coherent-type sheaves on the maximal ideal spaces of these algebras -- topological spaces having some features of complex manifolds.