abstract: In the first part of these lectures, we will discuss deformation invariants, exceptional curves (mainly of the first kind and A-D-E) and minimal models of algebraic surfaces. Afterwards, we will focus on surfaces of general type, thus giving some key examples, illustrating the standard inequalities among their invariants (the so-called "geography"), and discussing Bombieri's theorem on pluricanonical maps and some of its applications. Time permitting, we will also discuss log-canonical singularities of surfaces.
Pignatelli Lectures