Minimal degree rational curves on real surfaces (Q1721943)

In this paper, the author classifies real families of minimal degree rational curves that cover a $\mathbb{R}$-rational surface embedded in a projective space. These families are defined as minimal families. As a consequence of this fact, if the projective closure of this smooth surface is not biregular isomorphic to the projective closure of the unit-sphere, the set of minimal degree rational curves that cover a smooth surface is either empty or of dimension at most two, thus providing a characterization of curves that are on a real surface like circles on the sphere. It is also proved that the canonical degree of a minimal family is $-2$, $-3$ or $-4$ if the family is of dimension $1$, $2$ and $3$, respectively. Moreover, if the minimal family over the real numbers is not minimal over the complex numbers, it must be complete. The idea of this classification theorem is to construct a birational map from the starting surface to a ruled surface or to a weak del Pezzo surface. The Neron-Severi lattice of the initial surface is generated in a unique way by using the generators of the Neron-Severi lattice of these surfaces, together with the classes of the pullback of exceptional curves that are contracted by the map. The classification of real families of conics is also established as a corollary of the main theorem. The methods employed in this article are constructive and, finally, an algorithm to compute minimal families is provided.