Enumeration of the branched \(m\mathbb{Z}_p\)-coverings of closed surfaces (Q5952157)

Denote by \(S_k\) an orientable surface with \(k\) handles if \(k\geq 0\), and a nonorientable surface with \((-k)\) crosscaps if \(k<0\). The authors give explicit formulas for the number of nonequivalent regular branched coverings \(f:S_i\rightarrow S_k\) with covering transformation group \(mZ_p=Z_p\oplus Z_p\oplus\cdots\oplus Z_p\) where \(p\) is a prime integer. Here is a typical result. NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINETheorem 2. Let \(S_k\), \(k\geq 0\), be an orientable surface and let \(B\) be a finite set in \(S_k\), \(|B|=b\). The number of equivalence classes of branched \(mZ_p\)-coverings \(f:S_i\rightarrow S_k\) with branch set \(B\) is equal to NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\prod_{s=0}^{m-1}(p^{2k-s}-1)\Biggl/\prod_{s=1}^{m}(p^{s}-1)NEWLINE\]NEWLINE if \(i=1+p^m(k-1)\geq 0\), \(b=0\); NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\left[\prod_{t=0}^{b-1}(-1)^t {b \choose t} \prod_{s=1}^{m}(p^{2k+b-t-s}-1)+(-1)^b\prod_{s=0}^{m-1}(p^{2k-s}-1) \right]\Biggr/\prod_{s=1}^{m}(p^{s}-1)NEWLINE\]NEWLINE if \(i=1+p^m(k-1)+bp^{m-1}(p-1)/2\geq 0\), \(b\neq 0\); \(0\) otherwise.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe nonorientable case is considered as well.