Equivariant unirationality of del Pezzo surfaces of degree 3 and 4 (Q524913)

Given a finite group \(G\), a variety \(X\) is \(G\)-unirational if there exists a dominant rational \(G\)-equivariant dominant rational map \(V\dashrightarrow X\) where \(V\) is a \textit{faithful} linear representation of \(G\). This recovers the classical notion of unirationality when we take \(G\) to be the trivial group. The present work characterises \(G\)-unirationality of smooth del Pezzo surfaces of degrees \(d\geqslant 3\). In the seminal work of \textit{Yu. I. Manin} [Cubic forms. Algebra, geometry, arithmetic. Amsterdam-New York-Oxford: North-Holland (1986; Zbl 0582.14010)], it is shown that a smooth del Pezzo surface of degree \(d\geqslant 3\) over a field \(k\) of characteristic \(0\) is \(k\)-unirational if and only if \(X\) has a rational \(k\)-point. It is easy to provide a counterexample to the naive expectation that in the above statement \(k\) can be replaced by \(G\). Nevertheless, the author gives a full charaterisation, by showing that if \(X\) is a smooth del Pezzo surface of degree \(d\geqslant 3\) with a faithful \(G\)-action, the following are equivalent: {\parindent=0.7cm\begin{itemize}\item[(a)] \(X\) is \(G\)-unirational. \item[(b)] \(X\) has an \(A\)-fixed point for all abelian subgroups \(A\) in \(G\). \item[(c)] \(X\) is \(G_p\)-unirational for all Sylov \(p\)-subgroups \(G_p\) and all primes \(p\). \item[(d)] \(X\) is \(G_p\)-unirational for all Sylow \(p\)-subgroups \(G_p\) and all primes \(p\) dividing \(d\). \end{itemize}} The proof starts by first identifying some technical explicit obstructions to \(G\)-unirationality for particular groups \(G\). Since (a) implies (b)--(d) above, and (a)--(d) imply the absence of these technical obstructions, the core of the proof consists on showing that those technical obstructions are the only obstructions to \(G\)-unirationality. This is done separately for each degree. In addition, a counterexample of the above equivalence is provided for \(d=2\) and explains how, if Manin's original condition holds if \(d=1\), then it would imply the equivalence above for \(d=1\). It is shown in [\textit{A. Duncan} and \textit{Z. Reichstein}, J. Algebr. Geom. 24, No. 3, 499--530 (2015; Zbl 1327.14210)] that \(G\)-unirational varieties are \(G\)-versal and the latter ar \(G\)-weakly versal. The author further shows that if \(X\) is a smooth del Pezzo surface of degree at least \(3\), then the converses are also true, giving a further characterization of \(G\)-unirationality in terms of \(G\)-versality.