Classification of moduli spaces of arrangements of nine projective lines (Q374444)

One of the main areas of research in the study of hyperplane arrangements is the connection between the topology of an arrangement and its combinatorics. For line arrangements, this research takes the form of looking for Zariski pairs: arrangements that are lattice isomorphic, but have complements that are not homeomorphic. While examples of Zariski pairs with 13 lines are known to exist by the work of \textit{G. L. Rybnikov} [Funct. Anal. Appl. 45, No. 2, 137--148 (2011); translation from Funkts. Anal. Prilozh. 45, No. 2, 71--85 (2011; Zbl 1271.14085)], the search remains to find the example of a Zariski pair consisting of the fewest number of lines. This work began with six lines [\textit{K.-M. Fan}, Mich. Math. J. 44, No. 2, 283--291 (1997; Zbl 0911.14007)], was extended to eight real lines [\textit{D. Garber, M. Teicher} and \textit{U. Vishne}, Topology 42, No. 1, 265--289 (2003; Zbl 1074.14050)], and finally to eight complex lines [\textit{S. Nazir} and \textit{M. Yoshinaga}, Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa, Cl. Sci. (5) 11, No. 4, 921--937 (2012; Zbl 1432.52036)]. In the present work, the author extends the search for a Zariski pair by exploring arrangements with nine lines. Through a careful examination of the order and number of multiple points in the arrangement, the author classifies the possible moduli spaces for all arrangements consisting of nine lines. All arrangements of nine lines are shown to belong to one of four possible classes: arrangements with irreducible moduli spaces, arrangements containing Mac Lane arrangements, Falk-Sturmfels arrangements, or \(\mathcal{A}^{\pm \sqrt{-1}}\) arrangements [Zbl 1432.52036]. As a corollary, the intersection lattice of an arrangement of nine lines determines the fundamental group of the complement of the arrangement. Therefore, there does not exist a Zariski pair with nine lines.