Fundamental groups of complements of plane curves and symplectic invariants (Q1888449)

Let \((M,\omega)\) be a 4-dimensional closed symplectic manifold with integral symplectic form, and let \(L\) be a line bundle whose first Chern class is equal by \([\omega]\). Taking \(k\) large enough and considering approximately holomorphic sections of \(L^k\), we get a branched covering \(f: M \to \mathbb C\mathbb P^2\). The corresponding branch curve \(D_k\) admits only nodes and complex cusps as singularities [see \textit{D. Auroux} and \textit{L. Katzarkov}, Invent. Math. 142, No. 3, 631--673 (2000; Zbl 0961.57019)]. The authors investigate the fundamental groups \(\pi_1(\mathbb C\mathbb P^2 \setminus D_k)\) and \(\pi_1(\mathbb C^2 \setminus D_k)\). In case of complex surfaces \(X\) these groups can be considered as valuable invariants of a surface [cf. \textit{B. Moishezon}, Lect. Notes Math. 862, 107--192 (1981; Zbl 0476.14005)]. However, for \(M\) just symplectic the situation is more complicated: the branch curve is only well-defined up to creation and cancellation of nodes. So, the group, say, \(\pi_1(\mathbb C^2 \setminus D_k)\) is not an invariant of \(M\). Therefore, the authors consider a group \(G_k=G_k(X,\omega)\) (called the stabilized fundamental group) of \(\pi_1(\mathbb C^2 \setminus D_k)\) obtained by killing of commutators of geometric generators in disjoint transpositions in geometric monodromy representation \(\pi_1(\mathbb C^2 \setminus D_k)\to \Sigma_n\), where \(\Sigma_n\) is the symmetric group of degree \(n=\deg f_k\). It follows from the construction that \(G_k\) is a symplectic invariant of \((M,\omega)\) (theorem 1.2). Another interesting invariant of \((M,\omega)\) is the kernel \(G_k^0\) of the map \(G_k \to \Sigma_n \times Z\), where the map \(G_k \to \Sigma_n\) is given by the monodromy and the map \(G_k \to Z\) is the abelianization. Theorem 1.5 states the following: \(M\) is simply connected, then there exists a natural surjection \(\phi: {\text{Ab}}\, G_k^0\to ((\mathbb Z\oplus \mathbb Z)/\Lambda))^{n_k-1}\) where \(n_k=\deg f_k\) and \(\Lambda\) is a certain subgroup of \(\mathbb Z\oplus \mathbb Z\). The authors formulate two nice conjectures (1.3 and 1.6). First, if \(M\) is a projective surface and \(k\) is large enough, then the stabilization operation is trivial, i.e., \(G_k= \pi_1(\mathbb C^2 \setminus D_k)\). Second, if, in addition, \(M\) is simply connected, then the homomorphism \(\phi\) from theorem 1.5 is an isomorphism, and the commutator subgroups \([G_k^0, G_k^0]\) is a quotient of \((\mathbb Z/2)^2\).