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Questions tagged [branched-covers]

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2 votes
1 answer
80 views

How to determine the LS category of branched covers?

Define the (normalized) Lusternik-Schnirelmann (LS) category of a space $X$, denoted $\mathsf{cat}(X)$ to be the least integer $n$ such that $X$ can be covered by $n+1$ number of open sets $U_i$ each ...
2 votes
1 answer
121 views

Branched covering maps between Riemann surfaces

What is an example of a branched covering map between Riemann surfaces of infinite degree? i.e. something like a branched version of the exponential map $exp: \mathbb{C} \to \mathbb{C}^*$. Thanks!
2 votes
0 answers
78 views

Branched covers of real algebraic varieties

Let $X$ be a smooth complex algebraic variety and $L$ be an $n$-torsion line bundle on $X$, i.e., a line bundle $L$ such that $L^n=\mathcal{O}_X(B)$, where $B$ is a divisor $B$ on $X$. Such a bundle ...
11 votes
2 answers
840 views

What relationship is there between repeated roots of discriminants and orders of roots of the original polynomials?

Disclaimer: I asked this problem several days ago on MSE, I'm cross-posting it here. The title sounds like a high school problem, but (as a grad student not in algebra) it feels subtle/deep. ...
16 votes
3 answers
916 views

Maximal degree of a map between orientable surfaces

Suppose that $M$ and $N$ are closed connected oriented surfaces. It is well-known that if $f \colon M \to N$ has degree $d > 0$, then $\chi(M) \le d \cdot \chi(N)$. What is an elementary proof of ...
1 vote
0 answers
107 views

Relation of branched covers and groups

I am self-studying covering spaces of topological spaces. The following question comes to my mind. In the case of topological covering spaces, we have a nice relation between the fundamental group of ...
3 votes
0 answers
84 views

(When) can you embed a closed map with finite discrete fibers into a (branched) cover?

Assume all spaces are topological manifolds. A branched cover is a continuous open map with discrete fibers. A finite branched cover is one with finite fibers. Questions. Given closed map $X\to S$ ...
4 votes
2 answers
325 views

Books for learning branched coverings

I am self-studying branched coverings. I read it from B. Maskit's Kleinian groups book. I want some more references for reading branched covers. In particular, I want to understand how to create ...
35 votes
4 answers
3k views

Curves which are not covers of P^1 with four branch points

The following interesting question came up in a discussion I was having with Alex Wright. Suppose given a branched cover C -> P^1 with four branch points. It's not hard to see that the field of ...
0 votes
0 answers
462 views

Irreducibility of plane algebraic curves

Given a plane algebraic curve $$ y^n + a_1(x)y^{n-1} + \dots +a_{n-1}(x) + a_n(x)y = 0, $$ with a branch point $P_0=(0, y_0)$ of order $n$. Can we prove that this curve is irreducible? What if the ...
8 votes
4 answers
837 views

Conditions for underlying space of an orbifold $\Bbb T^n/\Gamma$ to be a sphere?

Given a $n$-dimensional torus, is it always possible to find a discrete action to produce an orbifold such that its underlying space is the $n$-dimensional sphere? Or does it only happens for specific ...
0 votes
1 answer
935 views

What is definition of branched covering?

What is definition of branched covering in the page 10 of following paper ? In Hatcher, Allen; Lochak, Pierre; Schneps, Leila, On the Teichmüller tower of mapping class groups, J. Reine Angew. Math. ...
28 votes
5 answers
7k views

Higher dimensional version of the Hurwitz formula?

In Hartshorne IV.2, notions related to ramification and branching are introduced, but only for curves. The main result is the Hurwitz formula. Now if you have a finite surjective morphism between ...
9 votes
3 answers
3k views

What prevents a cover to be Galois?

Let $f:X\rightarrow Y$ be a ramified cover of Riemann surfaces or algebraic curves over $\mathbb{C}$. My question is can one in terms of the ramification data of $f$, determine whether the cover is ...
11 votes
0 answers
541 views

A curious observation on the elliptic curve $y^2=x^3+1$

Here is a calculation regarding the $2$-torsion points of the elliptic curve $y^2=x^3+1$ which looks really miraculous to me (the motivation comes at the end). Take a point of $y^2=x^3+1$ and ...

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