Plane algebraic curves of arbitrary genus via Heegaard Floer homology (Q2361116)

The object of study of this paper are algebraic curves in the complex projective plane \(\mathbb{C}\mathbb P^2\), whose singularities are irreducible (i.e. unibranched); such singularities are often called cusps, and curves with only cusp singularities are called cuspidal. The main theorem is a strong generalisation of an earlier result of two of the authors [\textit{M. Borodzik} and \textit{C. Livingston}, Forum Math. Sigma 2, Article ID e28, 23 p. (2014; Zbl 1325.14047)], from the case of rational curves (i.e. geometric genus 0) to the general case. It gives an obstruction to the existence of curves of geometric genus \(g\) with a certain configuration of cusps, phrased in terms of the semigroups of the singularities, and more specifically in terms of the semigroup-counting function. (The same result was obtained independently in [\textit{J. Bodnár} et al., Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 112, No. 3, 512--548 (2016; Zbl 1345.14039)]) The proof uses correction terms in Heegaard Floer homology; the main difference from the original result of Borodzik and Livingston is that, when \(g\) is positive, one needs to work with 3-manifolds that are not rational homology spheres (these 3-manifolds arise as boundaries of a regular neighbourhood of the curve). The authors then focus on the case of curves of genus 1, whose unique singularity has one Puiseux pair (i.e. it is locally of the form \(x^p = y^q\) for \(p\) and \(q\) coprime), and obtain a full classification of such curves, when the degree is sufficiently large. This combines the main theorem, the use of the BMY inequality, and an ingenious method for constructing curves, mainly due to Orevkov [\textit{S. Yu. Orevkov}, Math. Ann. 324, No. 4, 657--673 (2002; Zbl 1014.14010)]. Note that the corresponding problem for rational curves was solved a decade ago, using completely different techniques [\textit{J. Fernández de Bobadilla} et al., in: Real and complex singularities, São Carlos workshop 2004. Papers of the 8th workshop, Marseille, France, July 19--23, 2004. Basel: Birkhäuser. 31--45 (2007; Zbl 1120.14019)].