Wild \(p\)-cyclic actions on smooth projective surfaces with \(p_g=q=0\) (Q5952281)

Let \(k\) be an algebraically closed field of characteristic \(p>0\), let \(X\) be a smooth projective surface over \(k\) and let \(g\) be an automorphism of \(X\) of order \(p\). Furthermore assume that \(h^i({\mathcal O}_X)=0\) for \(i>0\). The author proves that under the assumptions above the following statements hold: 1) the fixed locus of \(g\) on \(X\) is nonempty and connected; 2) the quotient surface \(X/g\) has rational singularities and its minimal desingularization \(Y\) also satisfies \(h^i({\mathcal O}_Y)=0\) for \(i>0\). As an application, it is shown that a rational elliptic curve defined over an algebraically closed field \(k\) of characteristic \(p>5\) has no \(p\)-torsion.