The irregularity of cyclic multiple planes after Zariski (Q2425367)

The author computes the irregularity of cyclic multiple planes associated to the branch curve with arbitrary singularities. The paper is very well written and has numerous examples and applications. In more detail, let \(B=\{f(x,y)=0\}\) be a (complex, reduced) plane curve, transversal to the infinite line. The corresponding surface \(S_0=\{z^n=f(x,y)\}\) is in general singular, let \(S\to S_0\) be its resolution. The irregularity \(q(S):=h^1(\mathcal{O}_S)=h^0(\Omega^1_S)\) was first computed by Zariski, in the case when \(B\) has nodes and ordinary cusps only. The irregularity is expressed via \(h^1(\mathbb{P}^2,I_Z)\), where \(Z\) is the support of cusps. Generalizations and applications of Zariski's formula were studied by many people (Esnault, Libgober, Artal-Bartolo). The author generalizes the formula to the case of \(B\) with arbitrary singularities. The formula is in terms of multiplier ideals of \(B\) and the corresponding jumping numbers.. The proof follows Zariski's ideas. The resolution \(S\to S_0\to\mathbb{P}^2\) is expressed as a standard cyclic covering. Then the theory of cyclic coverings [\textit{R. Pardini}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 417, 191--213 (1991; Zbl 0721.14009)] is applied to express the irregularity. Finally the Kawamata-Viehweg-Nadel vanishing theorem is used. In \S2 (preliminaries) the cyclic covers and multiplier ideals are nicely introduced. In \S3 the main theorem is proved. \S4 contains examples and applications. In particular, the author uses the main theorem to reconstruct the examples of Zariski pairs (by Artal-Bartolo). In Appendix the author computes in details the case when \(B\) has singularities of the form \(x^m+y^n=0\).