Rational cuspidal plane curves of type \((d,d-4)\) with \(\chi(\Theta_V \langle D\rangle)\leq 0\) (Q1294057)

This paper is about classification of certain rational cuspidal curves, meaning irreducible curves \(C\subset \mathbb{P}^2:= \mathbb{P}_{\mathbb{C}}^2\), whose only singularities are analytically irreducible. They have interesting properties, e.g., for such a curve \(C\) having at least three cusps, \(X= \mathbb{P}^2- C\) is an example of an affine surface of log-general type. More precisely, let \(V\) be a minimal embedded resolution of singularities of \(C\subset \mathbb{P}^2\) and \(D\) the total transform of \(C\) to \(V\), so that \(D\) is a normal crossings divisor of \(V\), denote by \(\Theta\langle D\rangle\) the sheaf of germs of vector fields on \(V\) tangent to \(D\), \(\chi (\Theta \langle D\rangle)\) its Euler characteristic. A rational cuspidal curve \(C\) is of type \((d,m)\) if the degree of \(C\) is \(d\) and the maximum of the multiplicities of points of \(C\) is \(m\). In the present article the author proves that if \(d> 6\) and \(C\) is a rational cuspidal curve of type \((d,d-4)\) with \(\chi (\Theta \langle D\rangle)\leq 0\), then (for a suitable integer \(a\geq 2\)) the degree \(d\) of \(C\) is of the form \(3a+4\) and \(C\) has 3 cusps, where the structure of these singularities can be described explicitly in terms of \(a\) (i.e., the sequence of multiplicities when they are resolved by means of quadratic transformations). Moreover, \(\chi(\Theta \langle D\rangle)\) must be equal to zero. -- Conversely, if \(a\geq 1\), a cuspidal curve \(C_a\) of degree \(d= 3a+4\) having 3 singularities of the types found above and satisfying \(\chi (\Theta \langle D\rangle)= 0\) can be constructed, this \(C_a\) being unique up to projective equivalence. The author uses an array of techniques from the (global and local) theory of plane curves as well as from the theory of algebraic surfaces.