Topology of septics with the set of singularities \(\mathbf B_{4,4} \oplus 2\mathbf A_3 \oplus 5\mathbf A_1\) and \(\pi_1\)-equivalent weak Zariski pairs (Q428783)

Weak Zariski pairs play an important role in distinguishing the path-connected components of a moduli space of curves. There is an abundant literature on the subject about curves of degree 6, while it is known that there is no weak Zariski pair in degrees less than or equal to 5. In this paper, the authors investigate the class of curves of degree 7 which have the set of singularities \({\mathbf B}_{4,4}\oplus2{\mathbf A}_3\oplus5{\mathbf A}_1\). They show that the equisingular moduli space of septics associated with this configuration has interesting features; the most striking one is that it contains a \(\pi_1\)-equivalent weak Zariski pair, that is, a pair of projective curves \((C,C^\prime)\) with the same singularities and isomorphic fundamental groups of the complement, such that the couples \(({\mathbf P}^2,C)\) and \(({\mathbf P}^2,C^\prime)\) are not homeomorphic (see [\textit{C. Eyral} and \textit{M. Oka}, Tokyo J. Math. 28, No. 2, 499--526 (2005; Zbl 1095.14025)] for a first example); in fact they show that this moduli space has at least three path-connected components: one corresponding to irreducible curves and two associated with reducible curves of the form \(C=C_3 \cap C_4\), where \(C_3\) is an irreducible cubic and \(C_4\) is an irreducible quartic.