Monodromy and vanishing cycles in toric surfaces (Q1741575)

Consider an ample line bundle \(\mathcal{L}\) on a smooth toric surface \(X\). Denote by \(|\mathcal{L}|\) the complete linear system for \(\mathcal{L}\) and let \(\mathcal{M}(\mathcal{L})=|\mathcal{L}|\setminus \mathcal{D}\); here \(\mathcal{D}\) is the corresponding discriminant locus. Let \(\Sigma_{g(\mathcal{L})}\) be a Riemann surface of genus \(g=g(\mathcal{L})\) corresponding to nonsingular curves in \(|\mathcal{L}|\). Let \(\mu_\mathcal{L}:\pi_1(\mathcal{M}(\mathcal{L}),\Sigma_{g(\mathcal{L})})\to \mbox{Mod}(\Sigma_{g(\mathcal{L})})\) denote the monodromy representation; here \(\mbox{Mod}\) means the mapping class group. The main object of investigation in the paper is the subgroup \(\Gamma_\mathcal{L}:=\mbox{Im}(\mu_\mathcal{L})\) of the group \(\mbox{Mod}(\Sigma_{g(\mathcal{L})})\). Theorem~A, proved in the paper, gives some essential information on \(\Gamma_{\mathcal{L}}\). Denote by \(r\) the highest root of \(\mathcal{L}\otimes K_X\) (\(K_X\) is the canonical line bundle of \(X\)) in the Picard group \(\mbox{Pic}(X)\). The theorem states that if either \(r>1\) or \(g(\mathcal{L})\ge 5\), then \(\Gamma_\mathcal{L}\) is a finite-index subgroup in \(\Sigma_{g(\mathcal{L})}\). Moreover, for odd \(r\), \(\Gamma_\mathcal{L}\) coincides with the stabilizer subgroup \(\mbox{Mod}(\Sigma_{g(\mathcal{L})})[\phi_{\mathcal L}]\); here \(\phi_{\mathcal L}\) is a \(\mathbb{Z}/r\mathbb{Z}\)-spin structure associated with \(\mathcal{L}\). For even \(r\) the subgroup \(\Gamma_\mathcal{L}\) contains the subgroup \(\mathcal{T}_{\phi_{\mathcal L}}\) of so-called admissible twists. Theorem~A gives an answer to a question by \textit{S. K. Donaldson} [in: Mathematics: frontiers and perspectives. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS). 55--64 (2000; Zbl 0958.57027)] on vanishing circles.