Some examples of algebraic surfaces with canonical map of degree 20 (Q2240586)

Let \(S\) be a minimal surface of general type with generically finite canonical map \(\varphi:S \dashrightarrow \mathbb P^{p_g(S)-1}\) of degree \(d\). By a classical result of \textit{A. Beauville} [Invent. Math. 55, 121--140 (1979; Zbl 0403.14006)] the maximum possible value of the degree \(d\) is \(36\), but which positive integers do actually occur as such degrees is still an open question. Surfaces with \(d=1,2,\ldots, 9\) are easy to construct, but only few surfaces with \(d>9\) are known and nowadays we know examples with \(d=12,16,24,27,32,36\). In the paper under review the author uses the theory of abelian covers developed by \textit{R. Pardini} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 417, 191--213 (1991; Zbl 0721.14009)] to construct two minimal surfaces of general type having degree of the canonical map \(d=20\). These surfaces are obtained as ramified \(\mathbb Z^4_2\)-covers of a Del Pezzo surface of degree 5 and have invariants \(p_g=3\), \(q=0\), \(K^2=20\) resp. \(24\); in the former case he canonical linear system is base point free, while in the latter case it has a non-trivial fixed part.