Normal F-pure surface singularities (Q1178048)

Let \(X\) be a normal projective surface over an algebraically closed field \(k\) of characteristic \(p>0\) and \(x\in X\) be a singular point. \((X,x)\) is called \(F\)-pure if the Frobenius map \(F:{\mathcal O}_{X,p}\to{\mathcal O}_{X,p}\) is pure, a notion due to \textit{M. Hochster} and \textit{J. L. Roberts} [Adv. Math. 21, 117-172 (1976; Zbl 0348.13007)]. Let \(f:Y\to X\) be the minimal resolution of the singularity at \(p\) with \(E\) the reduced exceptional divisor. The authors show the following characterization of \(F\)-pure surface singularities in characteristic \(p\): Let \(E=\bigcup^ n_{i=1}E_ i\) \((E_ i\) irreducible) have only normal crossings. Then \((X,x)\) is \(F\)-pure if and only if one of the conditions (i)--(iv) hold: (i) \(E\) is an irreducible smooth ordinary elliptic curve, (ii) \(E\) is an irreducible rational curve which has only one singularity (which is necessarily nodal), (iii) \(E_ i\cong\mathbb{P}^ 1\) for all \(i\) and the dual graph of \(E\) is an \(n\)-gon, (iv) \(E_ i\cong\mathbb{P}^ 1\) for all \(i\) and the graph of \(E\) is a tree (in particular, \((X,x)\) is rational). Rational double points in characteristic \(p>5\) are \(F\)-pure. Hence, the theorem gives a classification of normal \(F\)-pure surface singularities in characteristic \(p>5\). An analogous result in the Gorenstein case was obtained by \textit{K. I. Watanabe} [Algebraic geometry and commutative algebra, in Honor of M. Nagata, 791-800 (1988)].