Extensions of maximal symplectic actions on \(K3\) surfaces (Q2077174)

By a classical result of \textit{S. Mukai} [Invent. Math. 94, No. 1, 183--221 (1988; Zbl 0705.14045)], any finite group \(G\) acting faithfully and symplectically on some complex \(K3\) surface embeds into the Mathieu group \(M_{24}\). This classification leads to \(11\) maximal subgroups of \(M_{24}\) acting symplectically on some complex \(K3\) surface. Naturally one would like to classify \emph{all} finite groups of automorphisms of \(K3\) surfaces. If \(G\le \mathrm{Aut}(X)\) is a finite group, we have an exact sequence \[1\rightarrow G_s \rightarrow G \rightarrow \mu_n\rightarrow 1,\] where \(G_s\le G\) is the subgroup of symplectic automorphisms and \(\mu_n\) is the group of \(n\)-th roots of unity for some \(n\in \{k\in \mathbb{N} : \varphi(k)\le 20\}\). If \(G=G_s\) then \(G\) acts symplectically on \(X\), and we already have a classification of such groups. The paper under review classifies pairs \((X,G)\) where \(X\) is a complex \(K3\) surface and \(G\le\mathrm{Aut}(X)\) is a maximal finite subgroup of automorphisms such that \(G_s \lneq G\) and \(G_s\) is one of the \(11\) maximal subgroups of \(M_{24}\) in Mukai's classification. This leads to a list of \(42\) pairs up to isomorphism. As it turns out, all the resulting \(K3\) surfaces are singular (i.e. of maximal Picard rank \(\rho=20\)), and therefore rigid in their moduli. The authors also describe explicit projective models for \(25\) of the \(42\) resulting \(K3\) surfaces. The proof of the main result requires a classification (up to conjugacy) of certain finite subgroups of the group of isometries of the \(K3\) lattice, and it then invokes the strong Torelli theorem and the surjectivity of the period map to deduce the final list of \(42\) pairs.