On the geometric genus of projective curves (Q1295704)

In this paper the author deals with the classical problem in algebraic geometry of determining all the possible geometric genera of irreducible curves in projective space \(\mathbb{P}_r\). \textit{J. Harris} [``Curves in projective space,'' Sém. Math. Supér. 85, Univ. Montreal (1982; Zbl 0511.14014)] and \textit{L. Chiantini}, \textit{C. Ciliberto} and \textit{V. Di Gennaro} [Duke Math. J. 70, No. 1, 229-245 (1993; Zbl 0799.14011)] gave bounds for the genus of curves not contained in a surface of degree less than \(r+ \alpha-1\). In this paper, all possible geometric genera of curves which do not lie on surfaces of small degree are determined, and it is shown that all geometric genera between 0 and the Harris-Eisenbud bound do occur by simplifying the nodes of rational curves of large arithmetic genus lying on ruled rational surfaces.