On surfaces of general type with \(K^2 = 2\chi-2\) and nontrivial torsion (Q1364941)

The authors classify the surfaces of general type with \(K^2=2 \chi-2\) and non-trivial torsion. They first prove that \(\chi\leq 5\). Since the cases \(\chi=2\) and \(\chi=4\) were already studied before [see \textit{F. Catanese} and \textit{O. Debarre}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 395, 1-55 (1989; Zbl 0658.14016)], and \textit{A. Bartalesi} and \textit{F. Catanese}, with \(K^2=6\), \(\chi=4\) and with torsion [in: Algebraic varieties of small dimension, Proc. Int. Conf., Turin 1985, Rend. Sem. Mat., Torino, Fasc. Spec. 91-110 (1986; Zbl 0623.14015)], the authors restrict their attention to the case \(\chi=3\). A consequence of their results is that all surfaces with \(K^2= 2\chi-2\) and non-trivial torsion are specializations of surfaces with \(K^2=8\) and \(\chi=5\). This last class of surfacs was studied by P. Du Val in 1952 [see \textit{P. Du Val}, Can. J. Math. 4, 204-221 (1952; Zbl 0046.39001)]. The authors' idea is to use the bicanonical map, which in the case under consideration turns out to be non-birational, producing the surfaces in question as double covers of some explicit rational surfaces.