On the class of Brill-Noether loci for Prym varieties (Q1898856)

An explicit formula is given for the cohomology class of the Brill Noether loci in the Prym varieties. Let \(\pi : \widetilde C \to C\) be an étale double cover of a smooth algebraic curve \(C\) of genus \(g\). The Brill-Noether varieties associated with this situation were defined by \textit{G. E. Welters} [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér., IV. Sér. 18, 671- 683 (1985; Zbl 0628.14036)] by \[ V^r : = \{L \in\text{Nm}^{-1} (\omega_C) |h^0 (L) \geq r + 1\quad\text{and}\quad h^0 (L) \equiv r + 1 \pmod 2\}, \] where \(Nm : \text{Pic}^{2g - 2} (\widetilde C) \to \text{Pic}^{2g - 2} (C)\) is the norm map associated with \(\pi\). Using a construction of Mumford, the computation of the class of \(V^r\) is reduced to the computation of the class of the locus where two isotropic subbundles of a bundle endowed with a quadratic form, intersect in dimension exceeding a given number. There is a formula evaluating the cohomology dual to the fundamental class of such a locus as a quadratic expression in the so-called \(P\)-polynomials applied to the subbundles. This result stems from the reviewer's paper in: Topics in invariant theory, Proc. Sémin. Algèbre Dubreil-Malliavin, Paris 1989-1990, Lect. Notes Math. 1478, 130-191 (1991; Zbl 0783.14031) and the preprint by the reviewer and \textit{J. Ratajski}: ``Formulas for Lagrangian and orthogonal degeneracy loci'' (Max-Planck Inst. Math. 1994). This formula, appropriately specialized, yields the class of \(V^r\). The obtained formula for the class of \(V^r\) implies the non-emptiness of those loci in the range \(g \geq \left( \begin{smallmatrix} r + 1\\ 2 \end{smallmatrix} \right) + 1\), thus giving another proof of the ``existence theorem'' for \(V^r\) first proved by \textit{A. Bertram} [in Invent. Math. 90, 669-671 (1987; Zbl 0646.14006)] using different methods. The locus \(V^r\) is endowed, in the paper, with a scheme structure which is reduced, Cohen-Macaulay and normal for a general curve and any irreducible double cover of it. This scheme structure coincides on \(V^r \backslash V^{r + 2}\) with the scheme structure defined by Welters in the paper quoted above.