A degree bound for families of rational curves on surfaces (Q1672015)

A ruled pair \((X, D)\) consist of a non-singular birationally ruled surface \(X\) and a nef and efficient divisor class \(D\) on \(X\). An adjoint relation is a relation between two ruled pairs \((X, D)\to (X', D')\) where \(\mu: X\to X'\) is a birational morphism contracting all exceptional curves intersecting \(D+K_X\) trivially and \(D'=\mu_*(D+K_X)\). The main result gives an upper bound of the level \(\ell\) for an adjoint chain \[ (X_0, D_0)\to (X_1, D_1)\to\dots \to (X_\ell, D_\ell), \] in terms of \(D_0^2\), \(D_0\cdot K_{X_0}\), and the arithmetic genus of \(X_0\). As a corollary, this gives an upper bound for the minimal family degree of \((X_0, D_0)\) (defined to be the minimum of \(D_0\cdot F\) for all families of rational curves \(F\) on \(X_0\)). If \(X_0\) is rational, then the upper bound coincides with that in the previous work [\textit{J. Schicho}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 145, No. 1, 91--105 (2000; Zbl 0961.14024)]. In Section 6, an algorithm is introduced to construct example showing that the upper bound is tight. In Section 7, the author obtained an inequality involving lattice polygons applying this upper bound to toric surfaces.