On the intersection of a hypersurface with a finite set of points in \({\mathbb{P}}^ n\) (Q1181501)

The author examines the Hilbert function of the intersection of a finite set \(X\subset P^ n\) with a hypersurface defined by a form \(D\). Let \(I\subset R:=k[X_ 0,...,X_ n]\) be the saturated ideal of \(X\) and \(\beta:=\min\{t\mid \hbox{height} \langle I_{\leq t}\rangle\geq 2\}\). His main result is that if \(D\) is the g.c.d. of the forms in \(I\) of degree \(<\beta\), and if \(\Delta H(X,\beta)=\Delta H(R/(I,D),\beta)\), then the saturated ideal of that intersection \(Y\) is \((I,D)\) and its Hilbert function satisfies \(H(Y,t)=H(X,t)-H(X\setminus Y,t-deg(D))\) for all \(t\). (This formula is misprinted on p. 90, 1.4.) Furthermore, the author shows that if \(X\subset \mathbb{P}^ 2\) is the complete intersection of a curve of degree \(a\geq 2\) and a curve of degree \(b\geq 1\), then every curve of degree \(d\leq a\) containing at least \(a+(b- 1)(d-1)+1\) points of \(X\) passes through exactly \(bd\) points of \(X\). For \(d=a\), this is also an easy consequence of the classical Cayley-Bacharach theorem [\textit{E. D. Davis, A. V. Geramita}, and \textit{F. Orecchia}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 93, 593-597 (1985; Zbl 0575.14040)].