Approximation of holomorphic mappings on strongly pseudoconvex domains

Abstract

Let D be a relatively compact strongly pseudoconvex domain in a Stein manifold, and let Y be a complex manifold. We prove that the set A(D,Y), consisting of all continuous maps from the closure of D to Y which are holomorphic in D, is a complex Banach manifold. When D is the unit disc in C (or any other topologically trivial strongly pseudoconvex domain in a Stein manifold), A(D,Y) is locally modeled on the Banach space A(D,C^n)=A(D)^n with n=dim Y. Analogous results hold for maps which are holomorphic in D and of class C^r up to the boundary for any positive integer r. We also establish the Oka property for sections of continuous or smooth fiber bundles over the closure of D which are holomorphic over D and whose fiber enjoys the Convex approximation property. The main analytic technique used in the paper is a method of gluing holomorphic sprays over Cartan pairs in Stein manifolds, with control up to the boundary, which was developed in our paper "Holomorphic curves in complex manifolds" (Duke Math. J. 139 (2007), no. 2, 203--253).