A note on elliptic k3 surfaces

Abstract

We study the relationship between an elliptic fibration on an elliptic K3 surface and its Jacobian surface. We give an explicit description of the Picard lattice of the Jacobian surface. Then we use the description to prove that certain K3 surfaces do not admit a non-Jacobian fibration. Moreover, we obtain an inequality involving the determinant of the Picard lattice and the number of components of reducible fibres, which implies, among others, that if an elliptic K3 surface has Picard lattice with relatively small determinant, then every elliptic fibration on it must have a reducible fibre. Some examples of K3 surfaces are discussed. ©2000 American Mathematical Society.