Pencils on double coverings of curves (Q1016492)

Let \(\gamma: C \to X\) be a double cover of smooth curves of respective genera \(\pi\) and \(g\). Then every pencil of degree \(d \leq \pi - 2g\) on \(C\) is induced from a pencil on \(X\) by pull-back, thanks to the Castelnuovo-Severi inequality [\textit{E. Kani}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 352, 24--70 (1984; Zbl 0536.14016)]. In the paper under review, the author fixes a smooth curve \(X\) of genus \(g\), \(\pi \geq 3g\), \(d > \pi-2g\) and constructs a double cover \(C \to X\) as above and a basepoint-free linear system on \(C\) which is not a pull-back from \(X\). Previously this was known only when the stronger inequality \(\pi \geq 4g+5\) holds [\textit{E. Ballico, C. Keem} and \textit{S. Park}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 132, 3153--3158 (2004; Zbl 1056.14041)]. The range \(2g < \pi \leq 3g\) and \(d \geq \pi-2g+1\) remains open. Given \(X\), \(\pi \geq 3g\) and \(d>\pi-2g\) as above, the author draws on his work with \textit{M. Pedreira} [Note Mat. 24, 25--63 (2005; Zbl 1150.14008); Math. Nachr. 278, 240--257 (2005; Zbl 1067.14030)] to construct the curve \(C\) on a decomposable ruled surface \(S \to X\) with prescribed branch points. The pencils constructed are restrictions of pencils on \(S\). The paper closes with inequalities on the Clifford index and gonality of a double covers \(C \to X\): \({\roman {gon}} (C) \geq \min\{ 2{\roman {gon}}(X), \pi -2g + 1\}\) and \({\roman {Cliff}} (C) \geq \min\{2 {\roman {gon}}(X) -2, \pi-2g+1\}\).