Rational pullbacks of Galois covers (Q2664645)

Let \(k\) be a field and let \(X\) be a smooth geometrically irreducible curve over \(k\). Let \(f: X\to\mathbb{P}_k^1\) be a \(k\)-regular cover. A rational pullback of \(f\) is a \(k\)-regular cover \(f_{T_0}: X_{T_0}\to\mathbb{P}_k^1\) obtained by pulling back \(f\) along some non-constant rational map \(T_0 :\mathbb{P}_k^1\to\mathbb{P}_k^1\). The Regular Inverse Galois Problem over \(k\) is the problem of realizing each finite group as the Galois group of a \(k\)-regular Galois cover of \(\mathbb{P}_k^1\). Rational pullbacks crete such covers. The main result of this paper is to obtain all Galois covers \(X\to\mathbb{P}_k^1\) of a given group \(G\) from a proper subset of them by rational pullbacks. In this case, the subset is called a regular parametric cover. Theorem. Let \(k=\mathbb{C}\). The finite subgroups of \(PGL_2(\mathbb{C})\) (i.e, cyclic and dihedral groups, \(A_4, S_4\) and \(A_5\)) are exactly those finite groups which have a regular parametric cover \(X\to\mathbb{P}_k^1\). More precisely, given a finite group \(G\), the following statements hold. (a) If \(G\subset PGL_2(\mathbb{C})\), then \(G\) has a regular parametric cover. (b) If \(G\) is not contained in \(PGL_2(\mathbb{C})\), then even the set of all Galois covers \(X\to\mathbb{P}_k^1\) of group \(G\) and with at most \(r_0\) branch points is not regularly parametric, for any \(r_0\geq 0\). As an application it is shown that if \(k\) is algebraically closed of characteristic \(0\), then the finite groups of \(PGL_2(\mathbb{C})\) are exactly those finite groups for which the Beckman-Black regular lifting property over \(k\) holds. The Beckman-Black property is that any two Galois covers of \(\mathbb{P}_{\mathbb{C}}^1\) with the same group \(G\) are always pullbacks of another Galois cover of group \(G\).. Methods for establishing the results are based on Riemann's Existence Theorem, in particular, the geometric structure of the Hurwitz moduli spaces.