Families of curves with ordinary singular points on regular surfaces (Q1110597)

Let X denote a smooth integral projective scheme of dimension 2 over a fixed, algebraically closed field k such that \(ch(k)=0\). If C is an effective Cartier divisor, then for fixed integer numbers \(m_ 1,...,m_{\delta}\) \((m_ i\geq 2)\) the authors introduce the projective scheme \(W=W(C;m_ 1,...,m_{\delta})\), the closure in the projective space of the linear system \(| C|\) of the set of curves with \(\delta\) ordinary singularities of multiplicities \(m_ 1,...,m_{\delta}\). The principal objective of the work is to investigate the properties of W (for example the dimension of irreducible components, the smoothness at the point C) in terms of the singularities and the irreducible components of C. In particular, it is established a ``virtual connectedness'' theorem, which generalizes a result of \textit{A. Tannenbaum} on nodal curves [Compos. Math. 41, 107-126 (1980; Zbl 0399.14018)]. The paper ends with an interesting example of a genus 1 plane curve of degree 9 with 8 triple points and 3 nodes.