Projected canonical curves and the Clifford index (Q2574363)

Let \(X\) be a smooth, nonhyperelliptic, projective algebraic curve, defined over \(\mathbb{C}\), and of genus \(g\). Denote by \(X^{(k)}\) the \(k\)-th symmetric product of \(X\), where \(k \in \mathbb{Z}\), \(k \geq 0\); points in \(X^{(k)}\) may be thought of as divisors on \(X\) that have degree \(k\) (we assume that \(X^{(0)}\) is a one point set corresponding to the zero divisor). Assume that \(X\) is canonically embedded in \(\mathbb{P}^{g -1}(\mathbb{C})\); let \({\mathcal D}_k\) be the open set of \(X^{(k)}\) consisting of effective divisors \(D\) which span scheme-theoretically a \((k - 1)\)-plane in \(\mathbb{P}^{g -1}(\mathbb{C})\), and let \(K_{X,D}:= K_X - [D]\), where \(D \in {\mathcal D}\), \(K_X\) is the canonical line bundle and \([D]\) is the line bundle associated to \(D\). Denote by \(\Phi_{K_{X,D}}\) the map \(\Phi_{K_{X,D}} : X \rightarrow \mathbb{P} H^0(X,K_{X,D})\) associated to the complete linear system \(| K_{X,D}| \). Recall that the Clifford index of \(X\) is defined as \(\mathrm{Cliff}(X):= \min\{ \deg L - 2 h^0(X,L) + 2; h^0(X,L) > 1, h^1(X,L) > 1, L \in \mathrm{Pic}(X)\}\), when \(g \geq 4\); if \(g = 3\) (and \(X\) nonhyperelliptic) then \(\mathrm{Cliff}(X) = 1\). The main result in the paper is as follows. Theorem. Let \(X\) be as in the above paragraph, and assume \(0 \leq k < g - 1\). i) Suppose that \(k \leq 33\); then \(K_{X,D}\) is normally generated for any \(D \in D_k\) if and only if \(\mathrm{Cliff}(X) \geq k + 1\); ii) Suppose that \(k \leq 5\); then \(\Phi_{K_{X,D}}(X)\) is cut out by quadrics for any \(D \in {\mathcal D}_k\) if and only if \(\mathrm{Cliff}(X) \geq k + 2\).