Minimal number of singular fibers in a Lefschetz fibration

Abstract

There exists a (relatively minimal) genus g Lefschetz fibration with only one singular fiber over a closed (Riemann) surface of genus h iff g>2 and h>1. 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.