On the number of minimal models of a log smooth threefold (Q401299)

The minimal model of a complex projective surface is smooth and unique. For varieties of higher dimensions it is conjectured that the number of minimal models is finite up to isomorphisms. The conjecture was proved for projective varieties of general type [\textit{C. Birkar} et al., J. Am. Math. Soc. 23, No. 2, 405--468 (2010; Zbl 1210.14019)] and for threefolds of positive Kodaira dimension [\textit{Y. Kawamata}, Int. J. Math. 8, No. 5, 665--687 (1997; Zbl 0931.14022)]. Moreover, the relative Cone Conjecture of Morrison and Kawamata [Zbl 0931.14022] and the Shokurov's log geography, which assumes the full Minimal Model Program, imply the conjecture. For varieties of dimension three the minimal models are no longer smooth, but \textit{P. Cascini} and \textit{D.-Q. Zhang} [Ann. Inst. Fourier 64, No. 1, 127--144 (2014; Zbl 1364.14012)] provided a topological bound on the index of the singularities. In the paper under review, the authors prove that given a log smooth projective surface \((X, \sum_{i=1}^p S_i)\), where \(S_1, \dots, S_p\) are distinct prime divisors, and \(\epsilon\) a positive rational number, the number of minimal models of the pair \((X, B)\), where \(B= \sum_{i=1}^p\delta_i S_i\) and \(\delta_i \in [\epsilon, 1- \epsilon]\) for all \(i\), is bounded by a constant \(M\) depending only on the topology of \(X\) and of \(S_1, \dots, S_p\) and on \(\epsilon\). This result provides an effective version of the finite generation of adjoint rings in the two-dimensional case and generalises some previous results found in [Zbl 1364.14012]. Furthermore, the authors provide an analogous topological bound for minimal models of a non-uniruled terminal threefold pair \((X, B)\), such that the prime divisors contained in the support of \(B\) span Div\(_{\mathbb{R}}(X)\) up to numerical equivalence. The proof uses techniques from the three-dimensional MMP: in particular Shokurov's log geography and the proof of termination of threefold flips.