Liftable homeomorphisms of rank two finite abelian branched covers (Q2222865)

An interesting open problem about finding criteria for a covering of surfaces to have the property that every homeomorphism of the base surface lifts to the covering surface was pointed out in a paper by \textit{J. S. Birman} and \textit{H. M. Hilden} [Ann. Math. (2) 185, No. 1, 345 (2017; Zbl 1420.57053)]. In the present paper, the authors investigate this problem in the case where \(\pi: \Sigma\to S^2\) is a regular branched \(A\)-covering space of the sphere \(S^2\) and \(A\) is a finite abelian group. They aim to classify such covering spaces, where every homeomorphism of the base \(S^2\) lifts to a homeomorphism of the covering surface \(\Sigma\). In case the group \(A\) is cyclic, a classification was given by \textit{T. Ghaswala} and \textit{R. R. Winarski} [Mich. Math. J. 66, No. 4, 885--890 (2017; Zbl 1383.57001)]. In the main result, the authors prove that if \(A\) is a finite abelian \(p\)-group of rank \(k\) and \(\pi: \Sigma\to S^2\) is a regular branched \(A\)-covering space of the sphere \(S^2\) branched over \(n\) points such that every homeomorphism \(f: S^2\to S^2\) lifts to \(\Sigma\), then \(n = k+1\). They also give a partial classification of such covers for rank two finite \(p\)-groups.