Non-parametric sets of regular realizations over number fields (Q1693091)

Given a number field \(k\), a Galois extension \(E/k(T)\) with Galois group \(G\) is said to be \(k\)-regular if \(E\cap \bar{\mathbb{Q}} =k\). A set \(S\) of \(k\)-regular Galois extensions of \(k(T)\) with Galois group \(G\) is defined to be \(n\)-parametric over \(k\) if any given \(n\)-Galois extensions of \(k\) with Galois group \(G\) occur as specializations of a same extension \(E\in S\). In the case in which \(S\) consists of one single extension \(E/k(T)\), the above definition does not depend on \(n\) and \(E\) is simply said to be parametric. The motivation for studying \(n\)-parametric sets comes from the Beckmann-Black Problem, which is related to the Inverse Galois Problem and can be stated in the language introduced above as the question whether every finite group \(G\) has a \(1\)-parametric set over \(k\). No counterexample for the Beckmann-Black Problem is known and also the positive results are limited to some special families of groups, such as abelian groups, symmetric groups, alternating groups and some dihedral groups (see [\textit{P. Dèbes}, Sémin. Congr. 5, 1--26 (2001; Zbl 1037.12006)]). In this paper the authors develop some criteria to show the non-parametricity of some sets of regular realizations of a finite group \(G\) over a number field \(k\). Using their general criteria they are able to treat a lot of interesting examples, in particular showing that for some specific families of finite groups, there is no finite \(1\)-parametric set over \(k\). Analogous results for infinite sets are not expected to be found, since they would give counterexamples to the Beckmann-Black Problem. Nevertheless some specific infinite sets of regular realizations over \(k\) are shown to be not \(n\)-parametric for \(n\) large enough, under the assumption of a conjecture by Faltings, which asserts that the number of \(k\)-rational points on a given smooth curve \(X\) defined over \(k\) with genus \(g\geq 2\) is bounded by a constant depending only on \(g\) and \(k\).