Explicit equations of some elliptic modular surfaces (Q2477986)

An elliptic modular surface of genus zero is a semi-stable elliptic surface which is associated to a torsion-free genus zero congruence subgroup of the modular group \(PSL_2(\mathbb Z)\). From \textit{A. Sebbar}'s classification of these subgroups [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 129, No. 9, 2517--2527 (2001; Zbl 0981.20038)], it follows that such a surface has Euler number 12, 24, 36, 48 or 60. \textit{A. Beauville} [C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris 294, 657--660 (1982; Zbl 0504.14016)] and \textit{R. Livné} and \textit{N. Yui} [J. Math. Kyoto Univ. 45, No. 4, 645--665 (2005; Zbl 1106.14025)] have considered the cases with Euler number 12 and 24, respectively. In this paper the authors give explicit equations for the remaining cases with Euler numbers 36, 48 or 60. In most cases this is done using modular curves obtained by a composition of cyclic covers of the modular curves in Beauville's list.