On \(\mathbb Q\)-conic bundles. III. (Q1035845)

A \(\mathbb Q\)-conic bundle is a projective morphism \(f:X\to Z\) from a threefold with terminal singularities to a surface such that \(f_*\mathcal O _X=\mathcal O _Z\), all fibers are one-dimensional and \(-K_X\) is \(f\)-ample. In the article under review, the authors complete the proof of Reid's general elephant conjecture: If \(f:(X,C)\to (Z,o)\) is a \(\mathbb Q\)-conic bundle germ with irreducible central fiber, then a general member \(E_X\) of \(|-K_X|\) has only Du Val singularities. In view of previous results [cf. Publ. Res. Inst. Math. Sci. 44, No. 2, 315--369 (2008; Zbl 1151.14029)], the result follows from a detailed study of the cases in which \(f\) is of type (IC), (IIB), (IA)+(IA) or (IA)+(IA)+(III).