Questions tagged [several-complex-variables]

For questions related to the study of functions of several variables, in particular the study of holomorphic functions, automorphic group actions and forms, pseudoconvexity, complex geometry, analytic spaces, analytic sheaves.

The theory of several complex variables studies holomorphic (or analytic) functions defined over $\mathbb{C}^n$, where $n > 1$. Unlike the $n=1$ case, when $n > 1$ there is a strong lemma of Hartogs which states that all isolated singularities are removable and in particular there are domains that are not the domains of existence for holomorphic functions. In particular, there is a lot of interplay between the geometry of a domain $\Omega \subset \mathbb{C}^n$ and the function theory on $\Omega$.

Hartogs' lemma is just one of the many instances where analysis in several complex variables behaves very differently from complex analysis of a single variable. As an additional example, in one complex variable, Riemann's mapping theorem states that any simply connected domain (except the plane $\mathbb{C}$ itself) is biholomorphically equivalent to the unit disc. In several variables, there is nothing like Riemann's mapping theorem. The unit ball and the polydisc are for example not biholomorphically equivalent. In fact, an arbitrarily small perturbation of the unit ball is almost certainly not biholomorphic to the ball.

In real analysis, the theory in one and many dimensions generally behave similarly, except for when the algebraic structure of the real line as an ordered field comes into play, but as the examples above illustrate, the situation is very different in complex analysis. Therefore several complex variables is usually regarded as a distinct subject from complex analysis.

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Why isn't several complex variables as fundamental as multivariable calculus?

One typically studies analysis in $\mathbb{R}^n$ after studying analysis in $\mathbb{R}$. Why can't the same be said of $\mathbb{C}$?
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Multivariate Residue Theorem?

Is there an extension of the residue theorem to multivariate complex functions? Say you have a function of $n$ complex variables $s_{n}$ and you wish to integrate it over some region in $\mathbb{C}^{n}$. Can you exploit the singularities of the…
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Sources on Several Complex Variables

I have searched the past entries about sources on SCV but couldn't find about this topic. If I am not careful enough, sorry for this! We are using Hörmander's book which is really hard to follow. What do you suggest? Besides textbooks, it's welcome…
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Where to learn algebraic analysis

I have been studying categories, sheaf cohomology and complex analysis (the basics since I know just a little). Then recently I tried to find out more about algebraic analysis and these microlocal stuffs, but I couldn't find any introductory…
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Formula for decomposing a form into $(p,q)$ forms

Let $L: \mathbb{C}^n \to \mathbb{C}$ be a real linear map. In other words, $L(a\vec{v}_1+b\vec{v_2}) = aL(\vec{v}_1)+bL(\vec{v}_2)$ for all $a,b \in \mathbb{R}$. Then $L$ decomposes uniquely into a complex linear $T$ map and a complex antilinear…
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How to imagine zeros of an analytic function of several variables

Let $f(z_1,\cdots, z_n)$ be a holomorphic function of several variables in an open subset of $\mathcal C^n$. Let $Z(f)=\{ (z_1,\cdots, z_n) \: | \: f=0\}$ be the zero set of $f$. If $n=1$, the zeros set consists of isolated points. How to…
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What is pluripotential theory?

My tutor for electromagnetism showed me a problem about point charges in a disk and their equilibria. He referred me to a subject called "pluripotential theory". I googled it and I did not find what I was looking for at all! So my question is, what…
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Does every non-compact Riemann surface embed holomorphically into $\mathbb{C}^2$?

Question: Can every non-compact Riemann surface be holomorphically embedded into $\mathbb{C}^2$? If not, what are some (all?) of the obstructions to such an embedding? This question is partially inspired by the Wikipedia page on Stein manifolds,…
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Geometric intuition for the Stein factorization theorem?

What is the intuition behind the Stein Factorization Theorem? I understand that it was originally a theorem in several complex variables, so I was wondering if there's some geometric explanation that isn't as opaque as the statement in EGA. In…
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Why holomorphic injection on $\mathbb{C}^n$ must be biholomorphic?

This result is certainly right in the 1-dimensional case. But I don't know how to show the general case by induction. Can anyone tell me the detail please?
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A ‘strong’ form of the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra

Let $ n \in \mathbb{N} $ and $ a_{0},\ldots,a_{n-1} \in \mathbb{C} $ be constants. By the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra, the polynomial $$ p(z) := z^{n} + \sum_{k=0}^{n-1} a_{k} z^{k} \in \mathbb{C}[z] $$ has $ n $ roots, including multiplicity. If…
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What's nonsensical about this definition of the order of a meromorphic function?

According to this math.stackexchange.com answer, the following definition of Huybrechts in his book Complex Geometry is nonsensical: Let $X$ be a complex manifold. Let $Y \subset X$ be a hypersurface and let $x \in Y$. Suppose that $Y$ defines an…
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Show that f is a polynomial

Suppose $f$ is an entire function on $\mathbb{C}^n$ that satisfies for every $\epsilon>0$ a growth-condition $$|f(z)|\leq C_{\epsilon}(1+|z|)^{N_{\epsilon}}e^{\epsilon | \text{Im}\,z|}$$ Show that $f$ is a polynomial. (Hint: study $\hat{f} =…
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Implicit function theorem for several complex variables.

This is the statement, in case you're not familiar with it. Let $ f_j(w,z), \; j=1, \ldots, m $ be analytic functions of $ (w,z) = (w_1, \ldots, w_m,z_1,\ldots,z_n) $ in a neighborhood of $w^0,z^0$ in $\mathbb{C}^m \times \mathbb{C}^n $ and assume…
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Which book on complex analysis is good for self study?

Which book on complex analysis is good for self study? I am an average student and have just a very basic knowledge of this subject. I want to cover up to Runge's Theorem. I heard about few books- Gamelin's Complex Analysis; a text by Churchill and…
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