Stratification of the Hilbert scheme of space curves with a stable normal bundle

Ford≥3g and 1≤s≤[g/2], we study the strataN _{d, g(s)} of degreed genusg spaces curvesC whose normal bundleN _C is stable with stability degree (integer of Lange-Narasimhan) σ(N _C)=2s. We prove thatN _{d, g(s)} has an irreducible component of the right dimension whose general curve has a normal bundle with the right number of maximal subbundles. We consider also the semi-stable case (s=0), obtaining similar results. We prove our results by studying the normal bundles of reducible curves and their deformations. Both authors were partially supported by MIUR and GNSAGA of INdAM (Italy).     

On projectively normal embeddings of generalk-gonal curves

Fix integersg, k andt witht>0,k≥3 andtk<g/2−1. LetX be a generalk-gonal curve of genusg andR∈Pic ^k (X) the uniqueg _k ¹ onX. SetL:=K _X⊗(R ^*)^⊗t.L is very ample. Leth _L:X→P(H ⁰(X, L)^*) be the associated embedding. Here we prove thath _L(X) is projectively normal. Ifk≥4 andtk<g/2−2 the curveh _L(X) is scheme-theoretically cut out by quadrics. The author was partially supported by MURST and GNSAGA of CNR (Italy).     

A characterization of bielliptic curves and applications to their moduli spaces

We deal with the covers of degree 4 naturally associated to a bielliptic curve of genus g≥6, giving a proof of the unirationality of the moduli space ? _g ^be of such curves, of the rationality of the Hurwitz scheme ℌ ^be _{4, g} of bielliptic curves of even genus g, whereas, when g is odd, we construct a finite map ℂ^{2 g -2}→? _g ^be and compute its degree. Received: March 25, 2000; in final form: March 10, 2001?Published online: May 29, 2002     

Non degenerate projective curves with very degenerate hyperplane section

In this paper, we study the Hilbert scheme of non degenerate locally Cohen- Macaulay projective curves with general hyperplane section spanning a linear space of dimension 2 and minimal Hilbert function. The main result is that those curves are almost always the general element of a generically smooth component H_n,d,g of the corresponding Hilbert scheme. Moreover, we show that the curves with maximal cohomology almost always correspond to smooth points of H_n,d,g.All the authors were partially supported by Acción Integrada Italia-España, HI2000-0091, and by the Italian counterpart of the project.     

Dominant Families of Pointed Curves in Projective Spaces

Fix non-negative integers r, e, m, g, s such that r ≥ 3, 0 ≤ m < r, e > 0, g + s ≤ er + max{0, m − 1} + 2, g ≤ (e − 1)r + max{0,m − 1} and 0 ≤ s ≤ er + 2. Set d := er + m. Fix any such that and S is in linearly general position. Fix an ordering of the points P ₁, . . . , P _s of S. Here we prove the existence of an irreducible family Γ of smooth, non-degenerate and connected curves with degree d and genus g, all of them containing S and such that the induced map is dominant. Received: September 19, 2006.     

Normally generated line bundles on general curves, II

Let C be a general curve of genus g≥3. Here we prove that there is a normally generated L∈Pic^d(C) such that h⁰(C,L)=r+1≥4 (i.e. a very ample line bundle which embeds C in P^r as a projectively normal curve) if and only if (r+1)h¹≤g≤r(r−1)/2+2h¹, where h¹?g+r−d=h¹(C,L).     

Hilbert Schemes of Degree Four Curves

In this paper we determine the irreducible components of the Hilbert schemes H _4,g of locally Cohen-Macaulay space curves of degree four and arbitrary arithmetic genus g: there are roughly (g ²/24) of them, most of which are families of multiplicity structures on lines. We give deformations which show that these Hilbert schemes are connected. For g–3 we exhibit a component that is disjoint from the component of extremal curves and use this to give a counterexample to a conjecture of Aït-Amrane and Perrin.     

Monodromy groups of Hurwitz-type problems

We solve the Hurwitz monodromy problem for degree 4 covers. That is, the Hurwitz space H4,g of all simply branched covers of P¹ of degree 4 and genus g is an unramified cover of the space P2g+6 of (2g+6)-tuples of distinct points in P¹. We determine the monodromy of π₁(P2g+6) on the points of the fiber. This turns out to be the same problem as the action of π₁(P2g+6) on a certain local system of Z/2-vector spaces. We generalize our result by treating the analogous local system with Z/N coefficients, 3?N, in place of Z/2. This in turn allows us to answer a question of Ellenberg concerning families of Galois covers of P¹ with deck group ²(Z/N):S₃.     

Separators of points on algebraic surfaces

For a finite set of points X⊆Pⁿ and for a given point P∈X, the notion of a separator of P in X (a hypersurface containing all the points in X except P) and of the degree of P in X, (the minimum degree of these separators) has been largely studied. In this paper we extend these notions to a set of points X on a projectively normal surface S⊆Pⁿ, considering as separators arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay curves and generalizing the case S=P² in a natural way. We denote the minimum degree of such curves as and we study its relation to . We prove that if S is a variety of minimal degree these two terms are explicitly related by a formula, whereas only an inequality holds for other kinds of surfaces.     

Remarks on families of singular curves with hyperelliptic normalizations

We give restrictions on the existence of families of curves on smooth projective surfaces S of nonnegative Kodaira dimension all having constant geometric genus p_g ? 2 and hyperelliptic normalizations. In particular, we prove a Reider-like result that relies on deformation theory and bending-and-breaking of rational curves in Sym²(S). We also give examples of families of such curves.     

A generalization of the Weierstrass semigroup

The Weierstrass semigroup H(P) is well known and has been studied. Recently there has been a renewed interest in these semigroups because of applications in coding theory. Generalizations of the Weierstrass semigroup H(P) to n-tuples P₁,…,P_n have been made and studied. We will state and study another possible generalization.     

On the rational cohomology of moduli spaces of curves with level structures

We investigate low degree rational cohomology groups of smooth compactifications of moduli spaces of curves with level structures. In particular, we determine H^k([`(S)]<sub>g</sub>, \mathbb Q){H^k\left({\bar S}_{g}, {\mathbb Q}\right)} for g ≥ 2 and k ≤ 3, where [`(S)]_g{{\bar S}_{g}} denotes the moduli space of spin curves of genus g.     

Curves having one place at infinity and linear systems on rational surfaces

Denoting by L_d(m₀,m₁,…,m_r) the linear system of plane curves of degree d passing through r+1 generic points p₀,p₁,…,p_r of the projective plane with multiplicity m_i (or larger) at each p_i, we prove the Harbourne-Hirschowitz Conjecture for linear systems L_d(m₀,m₁,…,m_r) determined by a wide family of systems of multiplicities and arbitrary degree d. Moreover, we provide an algorithm for computing a bound for the regularity of an arbitrary system , and we give its exact value when is in the above family. To do that, we prove an H¹-vanishing theorem for line bundles on surfaces associated with some pencils “at infinity”.     

Trigonal Gorenstein curves

We notice that the Maroni invariant of a trigonal Gorenstein curve of arithmetic genus g larger than four may be equal to zero, and we show that this happens if and only if the g₃¹ admits a non-removable base point, which is necessarily a singularity of the curve. We realize and study trigonal curves on rational scrolls, which in the case, where the g₃¹ admits a base point Q, degenerate to a cone with vertex Q.     

Deformations of the generalised Picard bundle

Let X be a nonsingular algebraic curve of genus g?3, and let M_ξ denote the moduli space of stable vector bundles of rank n?2 and degree d with fixed determinant ξ over X such that n and d are coprime. We assume that if g=3 then n?4 and if g=4 then n?3, and suppose further that n₀, d₀ are integers such that n₀?1 and nd₀+n₀d>nn₀(2g-2). Let E be a semistable vector bundle over X of rank n₀ and degree d₀. The generalised Picard bundle W_ξ(E) is by definition the vector bundle over M_ξ defined by the direct image where U_ξ is a universal vector bundle over X×M_ξ. We obtain an inversion formula allowing us to recover E from W_ξ(E) and show that the space of infinitesimal deformations of W_ξ(E) is isomorphic to H¹(X,End(E)). This construction gives a locally complete family of vector bundles over M_ξ parametrised by the moduli space M(n₀,d₀) of stable bundles of rank n₀ and degree d₀ over X. If (n₀,d₀)=1 and W_ξ(E) is stable for all E∈M(n₀,d₀), the construction determines an isomorphism from M(n₀,d₀) to a connected component M⁰ of a moduli space of stable sheaves over M_ξ. This applies in particular when n₀=1, in which case M⁰ is isomorphic to the Jacobian J of X as a polarised variety. The paper as a whole is a generalisation of results of Kempf and Mukai on Picard bundles over J, and is also related to a paper of Tyurin on the geometry of moduli of vector bundles.     

Characterization of abelian varieties

We prove that any smooth complex projective variety X with plurigenera P ₁(X)=P ₂(X)=1 and irregularity q(X)=dim(X) is birational to an abelian variety. Oblatum 26-V-1999 & 13-VI-2000?Published online: 11 October 2000     

Linear series computing the Clifford index of a projective curve

For a (smooth irreducible) curveC of genus g and Clifford indexc>2 with a linear seriesg _d ^r computing c (so ) it is well known thatc + 2 ≤d ≤2 (c + 2), and if then 2c + 1 ≤g ≤ 2c + 4 unlessd = 2c + 4 in which caseg = 2c + 5. Let c ≥ 0 andg be integers. If 2c + 1 ≤g ≤2c + 4 we prove that for any integerd <g such thatd ≡c mod 2 andc + 2 ≤d < 2(c + 2) there exists a curve of genus g and Clifford index c with a g_d ^r computing c. Ford ≥c + 6 (i.e.r ≥ 3) we construct this curve on a surface of degree 2r-2 in ℙ^r, and ford ≥c + 8 (i.e.r ≥ 4) we show that such a curve cannot be found on a surface in ℙ^r of smaller degree. In fact, if g_d ^r computes the Clifford index c of C such thatc + 8 ≤d ≤ 2c + 3 then the birational morphism defined by this series cannot map C onto a (maybe, singular) curve contained in a surface of degree at most 2r-3 in ℙ^r.     

On maximal curves in characteristic two

The genus g of an q-maximal curve satisfies g=g ₁≔q(q−1)/2 or . Previously, q-maximal curves with g=g ₁ or g=g ₂, q odd, have been characterized up to q-isomorphism. Here it is shown that an q-maximal curve with genus g ₂, q even, is q-isomorphic to the non-singular model of the plane curve ∑ _{i =1}} ^t y ^{q /2 i} =x ^{q +1}, q=2 ^t , provided that q/2 is a Weierstrass non-gap at some point of the curve. Received: 3 December 1998