Surface classification and local and global fundamental groups (Q997582)

Summary: Given a smooth complex surface \(S\), and a compact connected global normal crossings divisor \(D=\bigcup_iD_i\), we consider the local fundamental group \(\pi_1(T\setminus D)\), where \(T\) is a good tubular neighbourhood of \(D\). One has an exact sequence \[ 1\to\mathcal K\to\Gamma:=\pi_1(T\setminus D)\to \Pi:=\pi_1(D)\to 1, \] and the kernel \(\mathcal K\) is normally generated by geometric loops \(\gamma_i\) around the curve \(D_i\). Among the main results, which are strong generalizations of a well known theorem of Mumford, is the nontriviality of \(\gamma_i\) in \(\Gamma=\pi_1(T\setminus D)\), provided all the curves \(D_i\) of genus zero have self-intersection \(D^2_i\leq -2\) (in particular this holds if the canonical divisor \(K_S\) is nef on \(D\)), and under the technical assumption that the dual graph of \(D\) is a tree.