The most symmetric nonsingular plane curves of degree \(n\leqq 20\). I (Q5946254)

Let \(S=\mathbb{C} [x,y,z]\) and \(f\in S_n\) a non-zero homogeneous polynomial of degree \(n\geq 3\). One assumes that the curve \(C(f)\subset \mathbb{P}^2\) of equation \(f=O\) is non-singular (of genus \(g_n=(n-1) (n-2)/2)\). Let \(\Aut(f) \subset\text{PGL}(3)\) be the isotropy group of \([f]\in \mathbb{P}(S_n)\). The curve \(C(f)\) is called ``most symmetric'' if \(|\Aut(f) |\) attains the maximum (for the given degree \(n)\). The following results are classically known: (0) If \(f=x^n+ y^n+z^n\) then \(|\Aut(f) |=6 n^2\). (1) If \(n=3\) then \(|\Aut(f) |\leq 54\) with equality iff \(f\) is projectively equivalent to \(x^3+ y^3 +z^3\). (2) If \(n=4\) then \(|\Aut (f)|\leq 168\) with equality iff \(f\) is projectively equivalent to the Klein quartic \(x^3y+y^3 z+z^3x\). Recently, \textit{H. Doi}, \textit{K. Idei} and \textit{H. Kaneta} [Osaka J. Math. 37, No. 667-687 (2000; Zbl 1063.14036)] proved that: (3) If \(n=6\) then \(|\Aut (f)|\leq 360\) with equality iff \(f\) is projectively equivalent to the Wiman sextic \(10x^3y^3 +9(x^5+y^5)z -45x^2y^2z^2 -135xyz^4 +27z^6\). In this paper under review the authors first remark that: (4) If \(n\geq 5\) is a prime number and \(|\Aut(f) |=6n^2\) then \(f\) is projectively equivalent to \(x^n+y^n +z^n\), and then prove that: (5) If \(5\leq n\leq 19\) is a prime number then \(|\Aut (f)|\leq 6n^2\). For the proof, one first recalls that, for \(n\geq 4\), \(\Aut(f)= \operatorname {Aut} C(f)\) and that the proof of Hurwitz's theorem concerning the order of the automorphism group of a compact Riemann surface \(C\) of genus \(g\) [see, for example, \textit{H. M. Farkas} and \textit{I. Kra} [``Riemann surfaces'' (1980; Zbl 0475.30001)] shows that if \(|\Aut C|>12(g-1)\) (remember that \(6n^2> 12(g_n-1))\) then there exists integers \(m_1\geq m_2\geq m_3\), \(m_3\in \{2,3\}\) such that: \(2(g-1)= |\operatorname {Aut} C|(1-{1 \over m_1}- {1\over m_2}- {1\over m_3})\). Then, and this is the main contribution of the authors, one needs a certain knowledge of the finite order subgroups of PGL(3).