Mordell-Weil lattices of type \(D_ 5\) and del Pezzo surfaces of degree four (Q1817374)

We consider the elliptic curve \(E:y^2+ p_5xy=x^3 +p_4tx^2+ (p_8t^2+ p_2t^3) x+p_6t^4+t^5\) defined over \(K=k(t)\), where \(k\) is the algebraic closure of \(\mathbb{Q} (p_2, p_4, p_5, p_6, p_8)\). Under a mild condition, the associated elliptic surface \(f: S\to\mathbb{P}^1\) has only one reducible singular fibre of type \(I_4\) at \(t=0: f^{-1}(0) = \Theta_0 \cup \Theta_1 \cup \Theta_2 \cup \Theta_3\). Then the Mordell-Weil lattice of \(E/K\) is isomorphic to \(D^*_5\). Using surface theory, we can blow down the zero-section \((O)\), \(\Theta_0\) and \(\Theta_3\) in this order, and we get a smooth del Pezzo surface of degree 3, which we call \(S_3\). By blowing down one more rational curve \(\Theta_2\), we get a smooth del Pezzo surface of degree 4, which we call \(S_4\). In this situation, lines (exceptional curves of the first kind) on \(S_3\) and \(S_4\) are obtained from sections of \(f: S\to\mathbb{P}^1\) which correspond to the rational points with small height. In \S 2, we describe the elliptic surface \(S\) explicitly, namely we represent \(S\) by gluing smooth surfaces defined by explicit equations. In \S 3, we realize \(S_3\) as a smooth cubic surface in \(\mathbb{P}^3\), and \(S_4\) as a complete intersection of two quadrics in \(\mathbb{P}^4\) by writing down the defining equations for them. Finally in \S 4, we give the equations of 27 lines on \(S_3\) and 16 lines on \(S_4\) and numerical examples for them. In this way we have established the explicit relation between Mordell-Weil lattices of type \(D_5\) and del Pezzo surfaces of degree 4.