\(K3\) surfaces with Picard number 2, Salem polynomials and Pell equation (Q2318398)

The main object of the paper is a projective \(K3\) surface \(X\) with Picard number \(2\). On this object, the authors consider an infinite order automorphism \(\varphi\) that is either symplectic, \(\varphi^*\omega_X=\omega_X\), or anti-symplectic, \(\varphi^*\omega_X=-\omega_X\). Taking the Picard lattice \(S_X\), the characteristic polynomial of \(\varphi^*|_{S_X}\) is of the form \(x^2-tx+1\) with \(t=\mathrm{trace}(\varphi^*|_{S_X})\) and defines a Salem polynomial. Their Main Theorem says that \(t=\mathrm{trace}(\varphi^*|_{S_X})\) is of the form \(\alpha^2-2\epsilon\) and determines all possible values for \(t\): In the symplectic case, one gets \(\epsilon=1\) and \(\alpha\in\mathbb{Z}_{\geq 4}\), and in the anti-symplectic case, we have \(\epsilon=-1\) and \(\alpha\in\mathbb{Z}_{\geq 4}\setminus\{5,7,13,17\}\). To prove the main statement, the authors first use the result (Proposition 1) that the action \(\varphi^*\) on \(S_X\) corresponds to an integer solution \((u,v)\) of a Pell equation \(u^2-Dv^2=4\) with \(D:=-\mathrm{disc}(S_X)>0\). Collecting more information in Proposition 2 and 3 about this special \(K3\) surface, its Picard lattice and the considered automorphism, they gain more insight into the Pell equation and the value \(t\) (Proposition 4 and 5) such that they can reduce the proof of the Main Theorem to an investigation of two integers \(\alpha, \beta\) that determine the discriminant \(\mathrm{disc}(L)=-(\alpha^2\pm 4)/\beta^2\) of a certain even lattice \(L\) of signature \((1,1)\). As an application (Theorem 4) to their Main Theorem, they show that every fixed-point-free automorphism of a projective \(K3\) surface with Picard number \(2\) is a special Cayley-Oguiso automorphism. One tool is the topological Lefschetz fixed-point formula; the exact structure of the automorphism can be found in Theorem 3.