Algebraic Bergman kernels and finite type domains in $\mathbb{C}^2$

Abstract

Let $G \subset \mathbb{C}^2$ be a smoothly bounded pseudoconvex domain and assume that the Bergman kernel of $G$ is algebraic of degree $d$. We show that the boundary $\partial G $ is of finite type and the type $r$ satisfies $r\leq 2d$. The inequality is optimal as equality holds for the egg domains $\{|z|^2+|w|^{2s}<1\},$ $s \in \mathbb{Z}_+$, by D'Angelo's explicit formula for their Bergman kernels. Our results imply, in particular, that a smoothly bounded pseudoconvex domain $G \subset \mathbb{C}^2$ cannot have rational Bergman kernel unless it is strongly pseudoconvex and biholomorphic to the unit ball by a rational map. Furthermore, we show that if the Bergman kernel of $G$ is rational of the form $\frac{p}{q}$, reduced to lowest degrees, then its rational degree $\max\{\text{deg } p, \text{deg } q \}\geq 6$. Equality is achieved if and only if $G$ is biholomorphic to the unit ball by a complex affine transformation of $\mathbb{C}^2$.