On birational transformations of Hilbert schemes of points on \(K3\) surfaces (Q2137860)

Let \(S\) be a complex algebraic \(K3\) surface with \(\text{Pic} S\) generated by an ample line bundle \(H\) with self-intersection \(H^2 = 2t\) and let \(S^{[n]}\) denote the Hilbert scheme of \(n\) points on \(S\). The group of biregular automorphisms of \(S^{[n]}\) was classified for \(n=2\) by \textit{S. Boissiére} et al. [Prog. Math. 315, 1--15 (2016; Zbl 1375.14015)] and by \textit{A. Cattaneo} [Math. Nachr. 292, No. 10, 2137--2152 (2019; Zbl 1430.14086)], a consequence being that \(\text{Aut} (S^{n]})\) is either trivial or generated by a non-symplectic involution, the answer depending on \(n\) and \(t\). In the paper under review, the authors classify the group \(\text{Bir} (S^{[n]})\) of birational automorphisms of \(S^{[n]}\). If \(t \geq 2\), there exists a non-trivial birational automorphism \(\sigma \in \text{Aut} (S^{n]}) \iff\) \(t (n-1)\) is not a square and the minimal solution \((X,Y)=(z,w)\) of Pell's equation \(X^2 - t(n-1) Y^2 = 1\) with \(z \equiv \pm 1 \mod (n-1)\) satisfies \(w \equiv 0 \mod 2\) and \((z,z) \equiv (1,1), (1,-1),(-1,-1)\) in \(\mathbb Z_{2(n-1)} \times \mathbb Z_{2t}\), in which case \(\sigma\) is an involution. The authors also determine when \(\sigma\) is symplectic. If \(t=1\) and \((X,Y) = (a,b)\) is the integer solution to \((n-1) X^2 - Y^2 = -1\) with smallest \(a,b > 0\), then \(\text{Bir} (S^{[n]}) = \text{Aut} (S^{n]}) = \mathbb Z_2\) if \(n-1\) is a square or \(b = \pm 1 \mod (n-1)\), otherwise \(n \geq 9\) and \(\text{Bir} (S^{[n]}) \cong \mathbb Z_2 \times \mathbb Z_2\). This extends the result of \textit{O. Debarre} and \textit{E. Macrì} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2019, No. 22, 6887--6923 (2019; Zbl 1436.14022)] for \(n=2\). Their method combines results of Markman on monodromy operators and the chamber decomposition of the movable cone for hyperkähler manifolds [\textit{E. Markman}, Springer Proc. Math. 8, 257--322 (2011; Zbl 1229.14009)] with the explicit extremal ray computations of \textit{A. Bayer} and \textit{E. Macrì} [Invent. Math. 198, No. 3, 505--590 (2014; Zbl 1308.14011)].