A volume maximizing canonical surface in 3-space (Q2427591)

The present paper answers a question raised by Enriques about the maximal value of \(K^2\) for minimal surfaces with \(p_g=4\) and birational canonical map (see [\textit{F. Enriques}, Le superficie algebriche. (Bologna): Nicola Zanichelli XVI, (1949; Zbl 0036.37102)]). Bogomolov-Miyaoka-Yau inequality \[ K^2\leq 9\chi=9(p_g-q+10) \tag{bmy} \] tells us that \(K^2\) can be at most 45 and, if so, the surface is necessarily regular. The authors construct, using arrangements of lines on \(\mathbb P^2\) and abelian covers, a minimal smooth surface \(S\) of general type with \(K^2=45\) and \(p_g=4\) with birational canonical map. This surface satisfies the equality in (bmy), thus its universal cover is the 2-dimensional complex ball. In particular, \(S\) is rigid. After a brief but very clear recall of the theory of abelian covers [see also \textit{R. Pardini}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 417, 191--213 (1991; Zbl 0721.14009)], they explicitly construct the surface \(S\) which is a \((\mathbb Z/5\mathbb Z)^2\) cover of \(\mathbb P^2\) branched over a complete quadrangle, i.e. the union of the six lines through four general points in \(\mathbb P^2\). The cover is determined by a surjective homomorphism \(H^1(Y-D,\mathbb Z)\longrightarrow (\mathbb Z/5\mathbb Z)^2\), where \(Y\) is the blow-up pf \(\mathbb P^2\) at the four points and \(D\) is the branch divisor, with certain conditions ensuring that the cover is smooth. The admissible covers are computed, up to isomorphisms, with Magma. A basis for \(H^0(S, \mathcal O(K_S))\) and a computation of \(\pi_1(S)\) and \(H^1(S,\mathbb Z)\) are also given.