On a question of Zariski on Zariski surfaces (Q2636962)

A Zariski surface, over an algebraically closed base field with characteristic \(p\) positive, is an algebraic surface which admits a dominant rational morphism of degree \(p\) from a rational surface. This article is devoted to the construction, in any positive characteristic, of Zariski surfaces with geometric genus zero and such that they are not rational. The problem arises from a question by Zariski, who asked whether any Zariski surface with geometric genus zero is rational. For \(p=2,3\) counterexamples were already known; the author shows here that the answer to the question of Zariski is negative for any \(p\) and he gives a general method to produce counterexamples in any positive characteristic (by constructing appropriate elliptic fibrations).