No label defined (Q4440490)

The paper under review studies global moduli spaces of surfaces. For a pair \((X,B)\), where \(X\) is a semi-log canonical surface and \(B\) a reduced Weil divisor on \(X\) which is Cartier on the index 1 cover of \(X\), the \(\mathbb{Q}\)-Gorenstein deformation theory is studied. The infinitesimal smoothable deformations are described explicitely and the existence of a smoothing is interpreted by the relation between the tangent bundle of its minimal resolution and the normal bundle of its exceptional divisor. As an application, compactifications are constructed for the spaces of double covers of \(\mathbb{P}^2\), branched over curves of degree 4 and 6, respectively. The author notes that this generalizes his previous results [in: Symposium in honor of C. H. Clemens, Contemp. Math. 312, 153--162 (2002; Zbl 1047.14019)]. For the entire collection see [Zbl 1019.00008].