On elliptic surfaces in characteristic p (Q801994)

In this paper we study the question to what extend the theory of elliptic surfaces over the complex number field \({\mathbb{C}}\) can be extended or has a good analogy in positive characteristics. The main difficulty comes from the existence of wild fibres in positive characteristics. - In the present paper we first prove the following theorem: If S is an algebraic elliptic surface defined over an algebraically closed field k of characteristic p \(\geq 0\) with Kodaira dimension one, then the m-ple canonical mapping \(\Phi_{| mK_ S|}\) gives the unique structure of the elliptic surface for every \(m\geq 14\). - We also give an example that the number 14 is the best possible, if \(char(k)\neq 2,3.\) \textit{S. Iitaka} showed that a similar theorem holds for analytic elliptic surfaces and obtained the estimate \(m\geq 86\) [J. Math. Soc. Japan 22, 247-261 (1970; Zbl 0188.534)]. Our theorem is new even for the case \(k={\mathbb{C}}\). To prove the theorem, we need to study an elliptic surface \(f: S\to P^ 1\) with \(\chi (S,0_ S)=0.\) We show that multiple fibres of such an elliptic surface satisfy certain numerical conditions (theorem 3.3). - Next we study wild fibres. We obtain the following theorem: Let mD be a wild fibre of an elliptic surface \(f:S\to C\) where D is an ordinary elliptic curve or of type \(I_ n\) (that is, a cycle of rational curves). Then there exists an element \(\alpha \in H^ 1(S,0_ S)\), a covering \(\pi_ 1:S^{(1)}\to S\) and an elliptic surface \(f_ 1: S^{(1)}\to C^{(1)}\) such that the corresponding multiple fibre of \(f_ 1\) has a form \(m^{(1)}D^{(1)}\) with \(m^{(1)}p=m.\) By a finite succession of this process the wild fibre is reduced to a tame fibre. - If D is a supersingular elliptic curve, we also have a similar result. In this case we need to take a flat cover ({\S}6, case III). In {\S}7 we give the process to reduce a tame fibre mD to a non multiple fibre, if D is an elliptic curve or of type \(I_ n\). In {\S}8 several examples of wild fibres are given. In the present paper we do not consider a multiple fibre mD where D is of type \({\mathbb{G}}_ a\) which appear only in characteristic \(p>0\). Recently we obtained a similar result in this case, if \(p\geq 5\). This will be discussed in a forthcoming paper. - In {\S}9 and {\S}10 we consider deformation and lifting of elliptic surfaces and algebraic surfaces. In {\S}9 we show that Kodaira dimension of an algebraic surface is invariant under deformation and lifting, though plurigenera may be not invariant. In {\S}10 we show that the genus of the base curve of an elliptic surface is invariant under deformation and lifting.