On the structure of the automorphism group of certain affine surfaces (Q558340)

In his paper [Enseign. Math., II. Sér. 48, No. 3--4, 291--315 (2002; Zbl 1044.14035)] the author gave a new geometric proof of the theorem of Jung--Van der Kulk for the tameness and the structure of the group of algebraic automorphisms of the affine plane. In the paper under review he uses the same approach to describe the group of algebraic automorphisms of two surfaces over a field \(k\): \({\mathbb P}^1_k\times {\mathbb P}^1_k\) minus a diagonal and \({\mathbb P}^1_k\times {\mathbb P}^1_k\) minus a fiber. In both the cases the structure of the groups is a free product of two subgroups amalgamated along their intersection. As a consequence the author obtains new proofs of the main theorems in [\textit{H. Nagao}, J. Inst. Polytechn., Osaka City Univ., Ser. A 10, 117--121 (1959; Zbl 0092.02504)] and [\textit{L. Makar-Limanov}, Isr. J. Math. 69, No. 2, 250--256 (1990; Zbl 0711.14022)].