A lower bound for the number of group actions on a compact Riemann surface (Q422079)

Let \(X\) be a compact Riemann surface of genus \( \sigma \geq 2\) let \(G\) be a group of conformal automorphisms acting on \(X.\) The signature of the action is the tuple \((h; n_{1},\dots, n_{r})\) where the quotient space \(X/G\) has genus \(h\) and the quotient map \(\pi : X \rightarrow X/G\) is branched over \(r\) points with orders \(n_{1},\dots, n_{r}\). The authors work here with the definition that the actions of groups \(G_{1}\) and \(G_{2}\) on compact Riemann surface \(X_{1}\) and \(X_{2}\) ( of the same genus \(\sigma)\) are equivalent if \(G_{1}\) is isomorphic to \(G_{2}\) and if the signatures of the actions of \(G_{1}\) on \(X_{1}\) and \(G_{2}\) on \(X_{2}\) are equal. The counting problem authors are interested in is to count the number of equivalence classes of such actions. The main tool they use is the space \(K_{\sigma}\) of skeletal signatures for actions of groups on Riemann surfaces of genus \(\sigma \) and the Riemann-Hurwitz formula. Theorem 4.3. For \(\sigma \geq 6,\) there are at least \(\frac{1}{4}(k_{\sigma} + 1)(k_{\sigma} + 3)\) distinct group actions on the compact Riemann surface of genus \( \sigma.\)