Plane algebraic curves with many cusps, with an appendix by Eugenii Shustin (Q2249401)

The present paper focuses on irreducible plane complex algebraic curves of degree \(d\) with only cusps as singularities, where cusp means a singularity defined locally by \(x^2+y^3=0\). A classical open problem that dates back to the nineteenth century is to find the maximum number \(k(d)\) of cusps on a plane curve of degree \(d\). A related open problem is to determine the asymptotic value (\(a.v.\)) of the number of cusps on plane curves, defined as \(a.v.=\lim\,\,\sup_{d \rightarrow \infty} {{k(d)}\over{d^2}}\). In this note, after an extensive survey about the problem, the authors improve the best known lower bound for the \(a.v.\) by constructing plane curves with the largest known number of cusps for infinitely many degrees. Some particular curves of relatively low degree with many cusps are constructed too. The Appendix of the paper, by E. Shustin, shows the existence of a complex plane curve of degree 11, with 30 cusps as its only singularities.