Enumeration of surfaces containing a curve of low degree (Q2376582)

From the Introduction: Let \(W\) be some irreducible subvariety of the Hilbert scheme of curves in \(\mathbb P^3\). The goal of this note is to determine the degree of the closure in \(\mathbb P^N=|\mathcal O_{\mathbb P^3}(d)|\) of the locus formed by all surfaces which contain a general member of \(W\). We give closed formulas (polynomial in \(d\)) when the general member \(C \in W\) is one of the following types: a union of up to three general lines, a conic, or a twisted cubic curve. We also find the degree of the locus corresponding to surfaces containing a pair of incident lines, as well as a few other numbers of similar nature. The case of lines rests on a description of the good component of the Hilbert schemes Hilb\(^{m(t+1)}\mathbb P^3\), \(m \leq 3\), suitable for enumerative purposes. The Hilbert scheme of conics is well known: it is a special case of hypersurfaces in their linear span; see \textit{A. Altman} and \textit{S. Kleiman} [Compos. Math. 34, 3--47 (1977; Zbl 0414.14024)]. As for twisted cubics, we profit from \textit{G. Ellingsrud} and \textit{S. A. Strømme} [Am. Math. Soc. 9, No. 1, 175--193 (1996; Zbl 0856.14019)], \textit{I. Vainsencher} and \textit{F. Xavier} [Math. Scand. 91, No. 2, 221--243 (2002; Zbl 1014.14024)].