A remark on classical Pluecker's formulae (Q2402788): Difference between revisions

An irreducible plane algebraic curve \(C\) in the complex projective plane is called \textit{cuspidal,} if its singular points are ordinary cusps and nodes. The classical Plücker formulas relate genus \(g\), degree \(d\), the number of ordinary cusps \(c\), and the number of ordinary nodes \(n\) of both, \(C\) and its dual \(\hat{C}\). It is not clear which sets of values for \(g\), \(d\), \(c\), and \(n\) allow a corresponding cuspidal curve. In particular, if a ``negative number'' of cusps or nodes of the dual curve is obtained from Plückers formulas, non-existence of a cuspidal (primal) curve is not implied since \(\hat{C}\) need not be cuspidal. The author defines the numbers \(c_v\) and \(n_v\) of \textit{virtual} cusps and virtual nodes via sums over multiplicities of irreducible germs that, for ordinary cusps and nodes, agree with the number of cusps and nodes, respectively. Again, there exist Plücker formulas that relate these virtual cusp and node numbers with genus and degree of primal and dual curve. He proves some inequalities involving \(c_v\), \(n_v\), \(g\), and \(d\) that, for the non-virtual case, go back to \textit{S. Lefschetz} [Am. Math. Soc. Trans. 14, 23--41 (1913; JFM 44.0723.06)]. In contrast to Lefschetz' paper, cuspidality of the dual curve is no requirement.