Rational Surfaces with Many Nodes (Q4548103)

Let \(X\) be a projective rational surfaces with \(n(X)\) nodes, that arises from a birational map \(f:X'\to X\), where \(X'\) is smooth and \(f\) contracts \(n(X)\) disjoint nodal curves \(C_i\subset X'\). The Picard number \(\rho(X')\) is equal to the Picard number \(\rho(X)\) plus \(n(X)\). The authors consider the cases in which \(n(X)\) is big with respect to \(\rho(X')\), i.e. the cases in which \(\rho(X)=1\) or \(2\). In these situations, when the characteristic of the ground field is \(\neq 2\), the authors determine \(X'\) as a suitable blowing up of a minimal rational ruled surface. In the proof, they make use of the theory of codes: codes arise naturally in the previous picture by taking the subspace of Pic(\(X\))/2Pic(\(X\)) generated by the classes of the \(C_i\)'s. The result applies to the study of involutions on minimal surfaces of general type, having \(p_g=0\). Indeed, in this setting, the authors prove that no involutions exist on such a surface \(S\) when \(K_S^2=9\), and classify the possible surfaces with involution for the case \(K_S^2=8\).