On nodal plane curves (Q1102339)

Denote by \(V(d,g)\) the family of all irreducible nodal algebraic plane curves of degree \(d\) and genus \(g.\) A well known conjecture of Severi, recently proved by \textit{J. Harris} [Invent. Math. 84, 445-461 (1986; Zbl 0596.14017)], claims the irreducibility of V(d,g). The author gives here a new proof of this fact by degenerating the projective plane \({\mathbb{P}}^ 2\) to a union \({\tilde {\mathbb{P}}}^ 2_ 1\cup...\cup {\tilde {\mathbb{P}}}^ 2_{d-1}\cup {\mathbb{P}}^ 2_ d\) where each \({\tilde {\mathbb{P}}}^ 2_ i\) is the blow up of a projective plane at a point. The limit of an arbitrary component V of V(d,g) is shown to contain a suitable union of lines and rulings on the \({\tilde {\mathbb{P}}}^ 2_ i\), and this in turn implies that V itself contains a union of general lines. This last fact gives the claim because it is well known that there is a single component of V(d,g) containing a union of general lines [cf. \textit{W. Fulton}, in Algebraic geometry - Open problems, Proc. Conf., Ravello/Italy 1982, Lect. Notes Math. 997, 146-155 (1983; Zbl 0514.14012)].