Notes on \(\pi _{1}\) of smooth loci of log del Pezzo surfaces (Q1045747)

A log del Pezzo surface \(X\) is, by definition, a normal projective surface \(\mathbb{C}\) such that \(K_X\) is ample and \(X\) has at worst quotient singularities. Here \(K_X\) is the canonical divisor of \(X\). It was first proved by D.-Q. Zhang and the reviewer and later using different methods by A. Fujiki and R. Kobayashi and S. Lu and by S. Keel and J. McKernan that the fundamental group of the space of smooth points, \(X_{\text{reg}}\), of \(X\) is finite. The universal cover \(\widetilde{X}_{\text{reg}}\) can be compactified by adding finitely many quotient singular points to get another log del Pezzo surface \(\widetilde X\). Then the finite group \(\pi_1(X_{\text{reg}})\) acts by automorphisms of \(\widetilde X\) (the action being fixed point free on \(\widetilde X_{\text{reg}}\)). Since a log del Pezzo surface is a rational surface we thus get a finite subgroup of the plane Cremona group of \(\mathbb{C}\)-automorphisms of the function field \(\mathbb{C}(t_1, t_2)\). Using the classification of all finite subgroups of this Cremona group by I. Dolgachev and V. Viskovskikh, the author completely classifies the possible groups \(\pi_1(X_{\text{reg}})\). By looking at the Abelian groups among these, he also gives the possible first homology groups \(H_1(X_{\text{reg}}, \mathbb{Z})\). This latter list was first proved by J. Kollar. Results of the kind proved by the author are always useful to surface theorists.