On the existence of \(k\)-normal curves of given degree and genus in projective spaces (Q1767265)

The paper under review is addressed to the following Question. Given a triple \((d,g,n)\), find an integer \(r=r(d,g,n)\geq 1\) such that there exists a smooth connected non-degenerate and strongly \(r\)-normal curve \(C\subset \mathbb{P}^n\) having degree \(d\) and genus \(g\). Here strongly \(r\)-normal means \(H^1(C, {\mathcal I}_C (k)) =0\) for every \(k \leq r\). This is a more specific version of the Halphen existence problem and of the problem of existence of linearly normal curves in \(\mathbb P^n\) (the introduction and the references of the paper provide a good account of the current literature). The authors give many answers in a number of cases by constructing curves lying on certain surfaces, namely \(K3\) surfaces of degree \(2n-2\) in \(\mathbb P^n\) (in characteristic zero), on Bordiga surfaces of degree 6 in \(\mathbb P^4\) and of degree 7 in \(\mathbb P^5\) and finally on certain rational surfaces [studied by \textit{C. Ciliberto} and \textit{E. Sernesi}, Comment. Math. Helv. 64, No.~2, 300--328 (1989; Zbl 0694.14008)] of degree \(2n - \delta\) in \(\mathbb P^n\). The basic idea is the following. On an arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay surface \(S\) get a reduced curve \(C_0\) and look at the complete linear system \(|C_0 +jH|\) where \(H\) is the hyperplane divisor on \(S\). Hence many of the property of its general element (like (strong) \(k\)-normality, smoothness, irreducibility) are consequence of the properties of \(S\) and \(C_0\). This idea is applied to suitable curves \(C_0\) on the surfaces, listed above.