Combinatorial properties of the K3 surface: simplicial blowups and slicings

by Jonathan Spreer and Wolfgang Kühnel

Abstract

The 4-dimensional abstract Kummer variety K4 leads to the K3 surface by resolving the 16 singularities. Here we present a simplicial realization of this minimal resolution. Starting with the minimal 16-vertex triangulation (K4)16 which can be seen as a 4-torus modulo antipodal involution, we resolve its 16 isolated singularities -- step by step -- by simplicial blowups. A key step is the construction of a triangulated version of the mapping cylinder of the Hopf map from the real projective 3-space onto the 2-sphere with the minimum number of vertices. Moreover we study simplicial Morse functions and the changes of their levels between the critical points. In this way we obtain slicings through the K3 surface of various topological types.

Download the article: arXiv:0909.1453v2 [math.CO]

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j.spreer@uq.edu.au