Zariski pairs on sextics. I (Q873823)

Let \(C\) and \(C'\) be 6-cusped sextics. The pair \((C,C')\) is called a Zariski pair if the curves have the same configuration of singularities and the irregularities of the corresponding branched cyclic covers of \(\mathbb P^2\) are different. This notion was introduced by \textit{O. Zariski} [Am. J. Math. 51, 305--328 (1929; JFM 55.0806.01), cf. \textit{E. Artal Bartolo}, J. Algebr. Geom. 3, No. 2, 223--247 (1994; Zbl 0823.14013)]. A \(6\)-cusped sextic \(f=0\) is called \((2,3)\)-torus type if one can write \(f=f_2^3+f_3^2\), for some polynomials of degree 2 and 3 respectively in \(\mathbb C[X,Y]\). If \(f\neq f_{6/p}^p+f_{6/q}^q\) for \(p,q\in\{2,3\}\), the curve is called non-torus type. The curve is called tame if each singularity belongs to \(f_2=f_3=0\). The first example of a Zariski pair was given by Zariski himself; here \(C\) is of \((2,3)\)-torus type and \(C'\) is non-torus type; moreover, these curves can be distinguished by the Alexander polynomial an invariant defined by \textit{A. Libgober} [Duke Math. J. 49, 833--851 (1982; Zbl 0524.14026)]. As a matter of fact, such polynomials are either \(t^2-t+1\) or 1 respectively. The objective of this paper is to give further examples of Zariski pairs. The starting point is the determination of all possible configurations of the singularities of irreducible tame sextics of \((2,3)\)-torus type with simple singularities, see \textit{D. T. Pho} [Kodai Math. J. 24, No. 2, 259--284 (2001; Zbl 1072.14031)]. Thus the author shows that if \(C\) is a sextic of \((2,3)\)-torus type with a given configuration \(\Sigma\), there exists a non-type curve \(C'\) such that \((C,C')\) is a Zariski pair; they are distinguished by the Alexander polynomial, either \(t^2-t+1\) or 1 respectively. To find the curves, the author uses computational methods which are basically based on several properties of torus type and non-torus type curves.