Minimal number of singular fibers in a Lefschetz fibration

Abstract

There exists a (relatively minimal) genus <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="g"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>g</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">g</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> Lefschetz fibration with only one singular fiber over a closed (Riemann) surface of genus <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="h"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>h</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">h</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> iff <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="g greater-than-or-equal-to 3"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>g</mml:mi> <mml:mo> ≥ </mml:mo> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">g \geq 3</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> and <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="h greater-than-or-equal-to 2"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>h</mml:mi> <mml:mo> ≥ </mml:mo> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">h \geq 2</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> . The singular fiber can be chosen to be reducible or irreducible. Other results are that every Dehn twist on a closed surface of genus at least three is a product of two commutators and no Dehn twist on any closed surface is equal to a single commutator.