Log canonical thresholds of del Pezzo surfaces (Q1001490)

Let \(X\) be a complex variety with log terminal singularities and \(D\) an effective Cartier \(\mathbb Q\)-divisor on \(X\). The log canonical threshold of \(D\), \[ \text{lct}(X,D):=\sup\{\lambda\in\mathbb Q|\,\text{ the log pair } (X,\lambda D) \text{ is log canonical}\}, \] is known to be positive and rational. It has been demonstrated that this number plays a significant role in birational geometry, but it is, in general, hard to compute. For a Fano variety \(X\) and a finite group \(G\) of biholomorphic automorphisms of \(X\) the author considers log canonical thresholds lct \((X,D)\) of \(G\)-invariant effective \(\mathbb Q\)-divisors \(D\) which are numerically equivalent to the anticanonical divisor \(-K_X\). He defines lct\((X,G)\) to be the infimum of these numbers and conjectures that lct\((X,G)=\) lct\((X,D)\) for some of those \(D\), referring to \textit{G. Tian} [J. Differ. Geom. 32, No. 1, 99--130 (1990; Zbl 0706.53036)]. The meaning of lct\((X,G)\) becomes evident by the fact that \(X\) carries a \(G\)-invariant orbifold Kähler-Einstein metric if \(\text{ lct}(X,G)\cdot(1+\dim X)>\dim X\). For a proof see \textit{J.-P. Demailly} and \textit{J. Kollár} [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 34, No. 4, 525--556 (2001; Zbl 0994.32021)]. The main results of the paper under review are the calculations of lct \((X):=\text{lct}(X,\{\text{id}\})\) for del Pezzo surfaces \(X\) with at most ordinary double points. If \(K_X^2=1\), then either \(\text{lct}(X)=1\) (iff \(|-K_X|\) contains no cuspidal curves), or \(\text{lct}(X)=\frac{3}{4}\) or \(\text{lct}(X)=\frac{5}{6}\), depending on whether or not \(X\) contains a cuspidal curve \(C\) with Sing\((C)\subset\) Sing\((X)\). It follows in particular that del Pezzo surfaces \(X\) with at most ordinary double points and \(K_X^2=1\) carry an orbifold Kähler-Einstein metric. In all other cases lct\((X)\in\{\frac{1}{3},\frac{1}{2},\frac{2}{3},\frac{3}{4},\frac{5}{6}\}\) and depends on \(K_X^2\) and on \(|-K_X|\). The author also calculates lct\((X,G)\) for several examples of smooth del Pezzo surfaces and finite groups \(G\not=\{id\}\) when the \(G\)-invariant subgroup of Pic\((X)\) has rank \(1\), \(K_X^2=5\), and \(G=A_5\) or \(G=\mathbb Z_5\). He also computes lct\((X,G)=\frac{2}{3}\) for \(X=\mathbb P^2\) and \(G=A_5\subset\text{ Aut}(X)\), stabilizing a smooth conic; or lct\((X,G)=4\) for the cubic surface \(X=\{[x_0:\dots:x_3]\in\mathbb P^3\,|\,\sum_{j=0}^3x_j^3=0\,\}\) and \(G=\text{Aut}(X)\). The subtle calculations are based on the algebraic and geometric structure theory of Fano varieties.