Mixed quasi-étale surfaces, new surfaces of general type with \(p_g=0\) and their fundamental group (Q379969)

In the paper under review the author classifies a particular class of minimal complex surfaces of general type with \(p_g=0\). To be more precise, the author works in the following setting. A projective complex surface \(X\) is called \textit{mixed quasi-étale quotient} if there exists a curve \(C\) of genus \(g(C) \geq 2\) and a finite group \(G\) that acts on the product \(C \times C\) exchanging the factors such that \(X \cong (C \times C)/G\) and the map \(C \times C \rightarrow X\) has finite brach locus. The minimal desingularization \(S\) of \(X\) is called a \textit{mixed quasi-étale surfaces}. These surfaces are a generalization of surfaces isogenous to a higher product of curves of mixed type introduced by \textit{F. Catanese} in [Am. J. Math. 122, No. 1, 1--44 (2000; Zbl 0983.14013)]. Indeed, surfaces isogenous to a product of mixed type are such that the map \(C \times C \rightarrow X\) is étale, hence \(X\) is non singular and minimal. Surfaces isogenous to a product of curves of mixed type with small invariants were studied by many authors [\textit{I. C. Bauer} et al., Pure Appl. Math. Q. 4, No. 2, 547--586 (2008; Zbl 1151.14027); \textit{G. Carnovale} and \textit{F. Polizzi}, Adv. Geom. 9, No. 2, 233--256 (2009; Zbl 1190.14036); \textit{M. Penegini}, Collect. Math. 62, No. 3, 239--274 (2011; Zbl 1228.14035)] On the contrary, the paper under review is one of the first ones on mixed quasi-étale surfaces. The author is able to classify mixed quasi-étale surfaces under the following two assumptions. The first one is \((C \times C)/G^0\) has only nodes as singularities, where \(G^0 < G\) is the index two normal subgroup of the elements that do not exchange the factors. The second one is that \(p_g(S)=0\), and so he concentrates on regular surfaces. As interesting byproduct the author provides an example of a numerical Campedelli surface with fundamental group \(\mathbb{Z}/4\mathbb{Z}\) and he realizes two new topological types of surfaces of general type.