On the classification of generic branched coverings of surfaces (Q801328)

For the purposes of this paper a branched covering is a finite-to-one open map \(\phi\) : \(M\to N\) between compact, orientable surfaces which is an ordinary covering over the complement of a finite set of points in the interior of N. The degree of \(\phi\) is the maximal number of points in \(\phi^{-1}(y)\) for \(y\in N\). A branched covering \(\phi\) : \(M\to N\) of degree d is called simple, if the number of points in \(\phi^{-1}(y)\) is \(\geq d-1\) for all \(y\in N\). It is called primitive, if \(\phi_*: \pi_ 1(M)\to \pi_ 1(N)\) is surjective. Two branched coverings \(\phi\),\(\psi\) : \(M\to N\) are said to be equivalent if there are homeomorphisms \(f: M\to M\) and \(g: N\to N\) such that \(g\circ \phi =\psi \circ f\). The main results in the paper are related to the following uniqueness conjecture: Any two primitive, simple branched coverings of degree d between closed, orientable, connected surfaces are equivalent. For \(N=S^ 2\), the conjecture is true by a theorem of \textit{A. Clebsch} [Math. Ann. 6, 1-16 (1873)]. In the present paper the conjecture is proved in several significant cases. These cases include, all primitive, simple branched coverings of the torus, and all metastable, primitive, simple branched coverings. A branched covering \(\phi\) : \(M\to N\) of degree d is called metastable if d \(\chi\) (N)-\(\chi\) (M)\(>d/2\), or, equivalently, if \(\phi\) has more than d/2 branch points. As further evidence in support of the uniqueness conjecture, the authors prove that it holds on the level of homology. As an application of their work with the above conjecture, the authors prove among others the following 'simple loop conjecture': If \(f: M\to N\) is a map of closed surfaces such that \(f_*: \pi_ 1(M)\to \pi_ 1(N)\) is not injective, then there is a nontrivial simple loop \(C\subset M\) such that \(f| C\) is nullhomotopic. The main techniques originate in classical work of \textit{A. Hurwitz} [Math. Ann. 39, 1-61 (1891)].