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Let ${\mathcal M}_S$ be the moduli space of (a family of) minimal smooth algebraic surfaces. (A precise definition does not matter here.) Denote $M=\dim {\mathcal M}_S$. Is it true that $$M\le b_2-p_g-2,$$ where $b_2$ is the second Betti number and $p_g$ is the geometric genus? (Excluding the case when RHS is $-1$. I am not referring to a fancy dimension, so LHS cannot be negative.)

I arrived at this looking for surfaces with large moduli spaces. The inequality is sharp for Abelian surfaces and K3 surfaces, but in other cases there seems to be a margin.

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    $\begingroup$ Probably true, but far off the mark. For a surface of degree $d$, $M$ is asymptotically $\frac{d^3}{6} $, your RHS is $\frac{5d^3}{6} $. $\endgroup$
    – abx
    Commented May 1, 2018 at 6:15
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    $\begingroup$ For the original Godeaux surface (quotient $X$ of quintic Fermat surface $Y$ by free action of cyclic group of order $5$), the dimension $h^1(X,T_X)$ equals $8$, the dimension $h^2(X,T_X)$ equals $0$, and $h^0(X,T_X)$ equals $0$. The Betti number $b_2$ equals $9$, and $p_g$ equals $0$. So $M$ equals $8$, yet $b_2-p_g-2$ equals $7$. $\endgroup$ Commented May 1, 2018 at 7:53
  • $\begingroup$ Will you write it as an answer? (So I can accept it and the question won't be left "unanswered" like last time.) $\endgroup$ Commented May 1, 2018 at 8:20

1 Answer 1

7
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Let $k$ be a field of characteristic prime to $5$. Denote $\text{Proj}\ k[x_0,x_1,x_2,x_3]$ with $\text{deg}(x_i)=1$ by $\mathbb{P}^3_k.$ Denote by $G$ the following copy of $\mu_5$ inside $\textbf{PGL}_4$, $$\rho:\mu_5 \to \textbf{PGL}_4, \ \ \zeta\cdot[x_0,x_1,x_2,x_3] = [\zeta^0x_0,\zeta^1x_1,\zeta^2x_2,\zeta^3x_3].$$ The following quintic Fermat surface $Y$ is invariant under this action, $$Y = \text{Zero}(x_0^5+x_1^5+x_2^5+x_3^5) \subset \mathbb{P}^3_k.$$ The induced action of $G$ on $Y$ is free. Denote the quotient by this action as follows, $$f:Y\to X.$$ This is a finite, étale morphism of degree $5$. The surface $X$ is a Godeaux surface. The dimensions $h^q(X,\Omega^p_{X/k})$ are as follows, $$ \begin{array}[ccccc] & & & 1 & & \\ & 0 & & 0 & \\ 0 & & 9 & & 0 \\ & 0 & & 0 & \\ & & 1 & & \end{array}.$$ In particular, in characteristic $0$, the second Betti number equals $9$ and the geometric genus equals $0$, so that $b_2-p_g-2$ equals $9-0-2$, i.e., $7$.

On the other hand, by the Griffiths residue calculus (or other means), the group $H^1(X,T_X) = H^1(Y,T_Y)^G$ is the $G$-invariant vector subspace of the degree $5$ graded piece of the Jacobian ring, $$k[x_0,x_1,x_2,x_3]/\text{Jac}(Y) = k[x_0,x_1,x_2,x_3]/\langle x_0^4,x_1^4,x_2^4,x_3^4 \rangle.$$ The $G$-invariant subspace has basis consisting of monomials $x_0^{e_0}x_1^{e_1}x_2^{e_2}x_3^{e_3}$ such that $e_0+e_1+e_2+e_3=5$, such that every $e_i \leq 3$, and such that $0e_0+1e_1+2e_2+3e_3$ is divisible by $5$. It is straightforward to check that this defines the following $8$ monomials, $$\{ x_3^3x_1x_0, x_3^2x_2^2x_0,x_3^2x_2x_1^2,x_3x_2^3x_1,x_3x_2x_0^3,x_3x_1^2x_0^2, x_2^2x_1x_0^2,x_2x_1^3x_0\}.$$ Thus, $h^1(X,T_X)$ equals $8$. Also, by Serre duality, $$h^3(\mathbb{P}^3_k,T_{\mathbb{P}^3}(-\underline{Y})) = h^0(\mathbb{P}^3_k,\omega_{\mathbb{P}^3/k}\otimes \Omega_{\mathbb{P}^3/k}(\underline{Y})) = h^0(\mathbb{P}^3_k, \Omega_{\mathbb{P}^3/k}(1)).$$ Using the Euler sequence, this last cohomology group is zero. Thus, also $H^2(Y,T_Y)$ equals $0$ (maybe there is a faster computation of that), so that $H^2(Y,T_Y)^G$ is zero. In other words, $H^2(X,T_X)$ is zero. Therefore, the infinitesimal deformations of $X$ are unobstructed. Finally, $H^0(Y,T_Y)$ equals $0$, so that also $H^0(X,T_X)=H^0(Y,T_Y)^G$ is zero.

Altogether, the versal deformation space of $X$ is smooth of dimension $8$, without any infinitesimal automorphisms. So the integer $M$ equals $8$. Yet $8$ is strictly greater than $7$.

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