The Schwarz Lemma

The Schwarz lemma is among the simplest results in complex analysis that capture the rigidity of holomorphic functions. This self-contained volume provides a thorough overview of the subject; it assumes no knowledge of intrinsic metrics and aims for the main results, introducing notation, secondary concepts, and techniques as necessary. Suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students of mathematics, the two-part treatment covers basic theory and applications.


Starting with an exploration of the subject in terms of holomorphic and subharmonic functions, the treatment proves a Schwarz lemma for plurisubharmonic functions and discusses the basic properties of the Poincaré distance and the Schwarz-Pick systems of pseudodistances. Additional topics include hyperbolic manifolds, special domains, pseudometrics defined using the (complex) Green function, holomorphic curvature, and the algebraic metric of Harris. The second part explores fixed point theorems and the analytic Radon-Nikodym property.