Gaps in the space of skeletal signatures (Q2447681)

Let \(X\) be a closed Riemann surface of genus \(\sigma \geq 2,\) and \(G\) be a finite group acting on \(X\) by conformal homeomorphisms. Let \((h; n_{1},\dots, n_{r})\) be the signature of the action of \(G\) on \(X\), which means that the quotient surface orbifold \(X/G\) has genus \(h\) and the orbifold covering \(X \rightarrow X/G\) is branched over \(r\) points with orders \(n_{1},\dots, n_{r}\). To the signature \((h; n_{1},\dots, n_{r}),\) they associate the skeletal signature \((h, r),\) which is the ordered pair consisting of the genus of the quotient surface orbifold and the number of branch points. Define \(K_{\sigma}\) to be the set of all skeletal signatures associated to all groups acting on all closed Riemann surfaces of a fixed genus \(\sigma \geq 2\). In [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 12, No. 1, 19--35 (2012; Zbl 1246.14042)], the authors introduced the notion of a skeletal signature for the action of a finite group on a closed Riemann surface of genus \(\sigma \geq 2\), together with the resultant space \(K_{\sigma}\) of skeletal signatures, as tools for understanding the space of all signatures of all actions finite group acting on closed Riemann surface of genus \(\sigma \geq 2\). In this paper, the authors provide an essentially complete description of the regular gap that appear in the space of skeletal signatures, together with proofs of those parts of their conjectures in [loc. cit.] related to these regular gaps.