The classification of surfaces with \(p_g=q=0\) isogenous to a product of curves (Q930821)

In this paper the authors classify all surfaces with \(p_g=q=0\) which are isogenous to a product of curves. A surface \(S\) is said to be isogenous to a product of curves if \(S\) has a finite étale cover which is isomorphic to the product of two curves. \(S\) is said to be isogenous to a higher product if both curves have genus bigger or equal to 2. These definitions are due to the second author [Am. J. Math. 122, No. 1, 1--44 (2000; Zbl 0983.14013)]. In the same paper it is proved that \(S\) is isogenous to a higher product if and only if there is a finite étale Galois cover of \(S\) isomorphic to a product of two curves of genera at least two, i.e. \(S \cong (C_1 \times C_2)/G\), where \(G\) is a finite group acting freely on the product \(C_1 \times C_2\). Moreover there exists a unique minimal such Galois realization \(S \cong (C_1 \times C_2)/G\). There are two cases: the unmixed case where \(G\) acts via diagonal action, and the mixed case where the action of \(G\) exchanges the two factors. In the mixed case the curves \(C_1\) and \(C_2\) have to be isomorphic to each other. It turns out that any surface with \(p_g=q=0\) and isogenous to a product is either \(\mathbb{P}^1 \times \mathbb{P}^1\) or it is isogenous to a higher product, and this last condition is equivalently to \(S\) being of general type. Thus in order to classify all smooth projective surfaces \(S\) isogenous to a product of curves with \(p_g=q=0\), the authors assume without loss of generality that \(S\ncong \mathbb{P}^1 \times \mathbb{P}^1\) and therefore that \(S\) is of general type. Previously [in: The Fano Conference, 123--142, Univ. Torino, Turin (2004; Zbl 1078.14051)], the first two authors studied smooth projective surfaces isogenous to a product of curves and of unmixed type with \(p_g=q=0\), and with \(G\) a finite abelian group. They showed that only four abelian groups \(G\) are possible in this case. Moreover, they showed that these groups really occur and gave a complete description of the connected components of the moduli space formed by the corresponding surfaces \((C_1\times C_2)/G\). In the article under review, the authors complete this classification admitting arbitrary finite groups and considering also the mixed case. They find all finite groups occurring as groups \(G\) associated to a surface isogenous to a product of curves with \(p_g=q=0\), show that these groups really occur and describe the components formed by the corresponding surfaces \((C_1\times C_2)/G\) inside the moduli space \(\mathfrak{M}_{(1,8)}\) of minimal smooth complex projective surfaces with \(\chi (S) = 1\) and \(K_S^ 2 = 8\). In total, beside the trivial case \(S\cong \mathbb{P}^1 \times \mathbb{P}^1\), the authors find 17 families of such surfaces of general type. Many of these families contain new and interesting examples of surfaces of general type with \(p_g=q=0\). The proof relies heavily on the use of the \texttt{MAGMA}-library containing all groups of low order. The authors remark that the main result of the paper can be seen as the solution, in a very special case, to the program advanced by David Mumford at the Montreal Conference in 1980, which says that problem on the existence of surfaces of general type with \(p_g=0\) or the number of components of their moduli space are in principle solvable by computer.