Negative curves on algebraic surfaces

Intersection theory, characteristic classes, intersection multiplicities in algebraic geometry (14C17) Divisors, linear systems, invertible sheaves (14C20) Modular and Shimura varieties (14G35)

Abstract: We study curves of negative self-intersection on algebraic surfaces. We obtain results for smooth complex projective surfaces X on the number of reduced, irreducible curves C of negative self-intersection C^2. The only known examples of surfaces for which C^2 is not bounded below are in positive characteristic, and the general expectation is that no examples can arise over the complex numbers. Indeed, we show that the idea underlying the examples in positive characteristic cannot produce examples over the complex number field. The previous version of this paper claimed to give a counterexample to the Bounded Negativity Conjecture. The idea of the counterexample was to use Hecke translates of a smooth Shimura curve in order to create an infinite sequence of curves violating the Bounded Negativity Conjecture. To this end we applied Hirzebruch Proportionality to all Hecke translates, simultaneously desingularized by a version of Jaffee's Lemma which exists in the literature but which turns out to be false. Indeed, in the new version of the paper, we show that only finitely many Hecke translates of a special subvariety of a Hilbert modular surface remain smooth. This new result is based on work done jointly with Xavier Roulleau, who has been added as an author. The other results in the original posting of this paper remain unchanged.

Review text

Let \(X\) be a smooth complex projective surface. A classical but nevertheless completely open conjecture claims that there exists a positive integer \(b(X)\) such that for every integral curve \(C \subset X\), the self-intersection number \(C^2\) is bounded below by \(-b(X)\). The goal of this paper is to give some evidence in favour of this conjecture: a natural strategy for a counterexample is to consider a surface \(X\) admitting an endomorphism, i.e., a surjective map \(X \rightarrow X\) of degree at least two, and study the pull-back of a curve with negative self-intersection. However the authors prove that the bounded negativity conjecture holds for every surface admitting an endomorphism. A more general strategy is to consider a surface with an interesting correspondence, for example a Hecke correspondence on a quaternionic Shimura surface of general type (we refer to the paper for precise definitions). Hecke correspondence are known to preserve the set of Shimura curves on the surface, yet again the authors prove that Shimura curves verify the bounded negativity conjecture. Finally the authors prove a weak form of the conjecture if \(X\) is a non-uniruled surface: let \(X\) be surface of non-negative Kodaira dimension. Then there exists a positive integer \(b(X,g)\) such that \(C^2 \geq - b(X,g)\) for every integral curve \(C \subset X\) of geometric genus at most \(g\).

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