Supersingular \(K3\) surfaces are unirational (Q2350294)

The author proves the following results about \(K3\) surfaces defined over a field of characteristic \(p\). Theorem 1: If \(p\) is odd, and the Picard rank of a \(K3\) surface \(X\) is \(19\) or \(20\), then there is an ordinary abelian surface \(A\) and dominant rational maps \[ Km(A) \dashrightarrow X \dashrightarrow Km(A), \] both of which are generically finite of degree \(2\). Here \(Km(A)\) is the Kummer surface associated to \(A\). This is known in characteristic \(0\) by \textit{T. Shioda} and \textit{H. Inose} [in: Complex Anal. algebr. Geom., Collect. Pap. dedic. K. Kodaira, 119--136 (1977; Zbl 0374.14006)]. Theorem 2: Let \(X\) and \(X'\) be supersingular \(K3\) surfaces in characteristic \(p \geq 5\) with Artin invariant \(\sigma_0\) and \(\sigma_0'\). Then there are dominant and rational maps \[ X \dashrightarrow X' \dashrightarrow X, \] both of which are purely inseparable and generically finite of degree \(p^{2\sigma_0+2 \sigma_0'-4}\). Combining Theorem 2 and the result of \textit{T. Shioda} [Math. Ann. 230, 153--168 (1977; Zbl 0343.14021)] that supersingular Kummer surfaces in odd characteristic are unirational, all the supersingular \(K3\) surfaces are unirational. The proof of Theorem 1 is the following. First one can lift the surface and its Picard lattice to characteristic \(0\) and then use the corresponding result in characteristic \(0\). The proof of Theorem 2 relies on the following construction. For any supersingular \(K3\) surface \(X\) with Artin invariant \(\sigma_0<10\), the author construct a deformation over a curve \(C\) such that the geometric generic fiber is smooth supersingular with Artin invariant \(\sigma_0+1\). Furthermore, there is a dominant purely inseparable generically finite map of degree \(p^2\) between the base change of \(X\) to \(\bar{k}(C)\) and the geometric generic fiber. This uses the formal Brauer group structure. Finally there is only one supersingular \(K3\) surface of Artin invariant \(1\), which is the Kummer surface \(Km(E \times E)\) for a supersingular elliptic curve \(E\).