Families of superelliptic curves, complex braid groups and generalized Dehn twists (Q2200063)

The present paper deals with the homology of the families of superelliptic curves \[ \text{E}_n^d = \{(\text{P},z,y) \in \text{C}_n \times \text{D} \times \mathbb{C},\ y^d = (z-x_1) \dots (z-x_n)\}, \] where D is the open unit disk in \(\mathbb{C}\), \(\text{C}_n\) is the configuration space of \(n\) distinct unordered points in D, and \(\text{P} = \{x_1, \dots, x_n\} \in \text{C}_n\). Given P, the curve \[ \Sigma_n^d = \{(z,y) \in \text{D} \times \mathbb{C},\ y^d = (z-x_1) \dots (z-x_n)\} \] is a \(d\)-fold covering of D, totally ramified over P, and there is a fibration \(\pi : \text{E}_n^d \rightarrow \text{C}_n\) which maps \(\Sigma_n^d\) onto its set of ramification points. The case \(d=2\) of hyperelliptic curves was studied by the authors in [Isr. J. Math. 230, No. 2, 653--692 (2019; Zbl 1419.14039)]. Now, they consider a generic \(d\), and this paper is a natural sequel of the former. The main results are anticipated in Section 1, as Theorems 1.1--1.4. The first of them states that the space \( \text{E}_n^d\) is a classifying space for the complex braid group of type \(\text{B}(d,d,n)\). Then, the homology of the complex braid group of type \(\text{B}(d,d,n)\) over finite fields when \(d\) or \(n\) is odd is computed, and their stable homology groups are described. Explicit examples for \(3 \leq d \leq 6\) are given in the final section of the paper. Of course, when specializing the results to \(d=2\), the results of the earlier paper are recovered.