On automorphisms groups of cyclic \(p\)-gonal Riemann surfaces (Q2437233)

Let \(p\geq 2\) be a prime number and suppose that \(X_g\) is a compact Riemann surface of genus \(g\geq 2\) which admits a group of conformal automorphisms \(C_{p}\) of prime order \(p\) such that the quotient space \(X_g/C_{p}\) has genus \(0\). We call the surface \(X_g\) a cyclic \(p\)-gonal surface and the map \(f: S\rightarrow X_g/C_p\) a cyclic \(p\)-gonal morphism. A cyclic \(p\)-gonal surface \(X_g\) is called a real cyclic \(p\)-gonal surface if there is an anticonformal involution (symmetry) \(\sigma\) of \(X_g\) which is a lift of complex conjugation with respect to \(f\). For a given cyclic \(p\)-gonal surface \(X_g\), let \(\text{Aut} (X_g)\) denote its group of conformal automorphisms and for a real cyclic \(p\)-gonal surface \(X_g\), let \(\text{Aut}^{\pm} (X_g)\) denote its group of conformal and anticonformal automorphisms. In the paper under review, the authors determine each possible group \(\text{Aut} (X_g)\) and \(\text{Aut}^{\pm} (X_g)\) under the assumption that a \(p\)-gonal group \(C_{p}\) of \(X_g\) is normal in this group (a condition necessarily satisfied when the genus \(g\) of \(X_g\) satisfies \(g>(p-1)^2\)). The general approach taken by the authors is as follows. If \(G\) is a group of conformal (respectively anticonformal) automorphisms of \(X_g\) with \(C_{p}\vartriangleleft G\), then the group \(H=G/C_{p}\) acts conformally (respectively anticonformally) on the Riemann sphere \({\mathbb P}^{1}\). Therefore, \(G\) must satisfy the short exact sequence \[ 1\rightarrow C_p \rightarrow G\rightarrow \bar{G} \rightarrow 1 \] where \(\bar{G}\) is a group of conformal (respectively anticonformal) automorphisms of \({\mathbb P}^{1}\), all of which are well known. The authors use group cohomology to determine all solutions to this short exact sequence for each possible \(\bar{G}\) thus obtaining a list of potential groups of automorphisms. They then use the theory of Fuchsian groups and surface kernel epimorphisms to show that for each group satisfying this short exact sequence, there exists at least one such surface on which this group acts. For the interested reader, a missing related reference predating many of the cited papers is [\textit{A. Kontogeorgis}, J. Algebra 216, No. 2, 665--706 (1999; Zbl 0938.11056)] where similar results for conformal automorphism groups of general \(n\)-gonal surfaces (\(n\) not necessarily prime) are obtained.