Unirationality of RDP Del Pezzo surfaces of degree 2 (Q2144386)

Let \(X\) be a projective surface over a field \(k\) with ample anti-canonical divisor \(-K_X\). If \(X\) is smooth, then it is called a del Pezzo surface; if \(X\) admits only rational double points as singularities, then it is called an RDP del Pezzo surface. Assume that \(X\) is a(n RDP) del Pezzo surface, then the self intersection \(1\leq (K_X)^2\leq 9\) is called the degree of \(X\). A surface \(Y\) defined over a field \(k\) is called rational if it admits a \(k\)-birational map \(\mathbb{P}^2\dashrightarrow Y\). Del Pezzo surfaces over algebraically closed fields are rational. The statement is not necessarily true over other fields. For this reason one introduces the notion of unirationality. A surface \(Y/k\) is called unirational if it admits a dominant \(k\)-rational map \(\mathbb{P}^2\dashrightarrow Y\). \textit{Yu. I. Manin} [Cubic forms. Algebra, geometry, arithmetic. Translated from Russian by M. Hazewinkel. Elsevier (North-Holland), Amsterdam (1974; Zbl 0277.14014)] shows that many del Pezzo surfaces of degree \(2\) are unirational. \textit{C. Salgado} et al. [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 90, No. 1, 121--139 (2014; Zbl 1319.14016)] prove that all but possibly three del Pezzo surfaces over finite fields are unirational. The remaining three cases are proven to be also unirational in [\textit{D. Festi} and \textit{R. van Luijk}, Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 48, No. 1, 135--140 (2016; Zbl 1408.14156)], hence showing that all del Pezzo surfaces of degree 2 over finite fields are unirational. In the paper under review, the author addresses the problem of determining the unirationality of RDP del Pezzo surfaces of degree \(2\). In order to do so, he combines the techniques introduced by Manin and Salgado, Testa, Várilly-Alvarado with a case-by-case analysis of the possible configurations of singular points on RDP del Pezzo surfaces of degree~\(2\). First he considers the case of RDP del Pezzo's of degree \(2\) over arbitrary fields, proving the following result (Theorem 1.1). Let \(k\) be any field and \(X/k\) be an RDP del Pezzo surface of degree~\(2\). Let \(\tilde{X}\) denote its minimal resolution. Assume that the singularities of \(X\) are different from three given configurations and \(\tilde{X}\) has a \(k\)-point. Then \(X\) is \(k\)-unirational. The attention is then restricted to the case of finite fields (Theorem 1.3). Let \(k\) be a finite field with \(n\) elements and \(X/k\) be an RDP del Pezzo surface of degree \(2\). Assume that either the singularities of \(X\) are different from the same three given configurations as above or \(n\) is large enough. Then \(X\) is \(k\)-unirational. The cases of \(X\) with singularities forming one of the three forbidden configurations and \(n\) smaller than the explicitly given bounds are left open.