The gonality of complete intersection curves (Q2193218)

Let \(C\subset \mathbb {P}^n\) be a smooth complete intersection curve of \(n\) hypersurfaces of degree \(a_1\le \cdots \le a_{n-1}\). The main results gives a complete classification of all \(g^r_d\) on \(C\) if \(r<n\) and \(d<\deg (C)\); for instance if \(4\le a_1<a_2\), then all such \(g^r_d\) are obtained projecting \(C\) from an \((n-r-1)\)-dimensional space intersecting \(C\) in a scheme of degree \(\deg (C)-d\). Stronger statements are obtained if we assume that \(C\) is general or very general among the complete intersection curves with multidegree \((a_1,\dots ,a_{n-1})\). They also gives upper bounds on the gonality, i.e. they prove the existence of high secant linear spaces. From these statement they obtain a particular case of a conjecture by \textit{D. Eisenbud} et al. [Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New Ser. 33, No. 3, 295--324 (1996; Zbl 0871.14024)] on the Cayley-Bacharach problem. The proofs use a generalization of the classical Noether-Lefschetz theorem.