On groups of automorphisms of a class of surfaces (Q922601)

The author studies the group of the automorphisms of an affine surface of equation \(xy=P(z)\), where P(z)\(\in K[z]\) is a polynomial of degree \(\geq 2\) and K is an algebraically closed field. Precisely, if \(R=K[x,y,z]/(xy- P(z))\) is the associated K-algebra, he proves that in general Aut(R) is generated by the hyperbolic rotations, the involution and the triangular transformations. Only for very particular choices of P(z) some other generators are required: also in these exceptional cases Aut(R) is completely described. The proof is based on purely algebraic methods.