On higher syzygies of ruled surfaces. II (Q2583035)

[For part I, see ibid. 296, 267--284 (2006; Zbl 1093.14052).] \textit{F. J. Gallego} and \textit{B. P. Purnaprajna} [J. Algebra 186, 626--659 (1996; Zbl 0948.14030)] conjectured: On an elliptic ruled surface \(X\) with invariant \(e = -1\) let \(L \equiv aC_0 + bf\) be a line bundle, where \(C_0\) is a minimal section with \(C_0^2 = -e\) and \(f\) a fibre. Then \(L\) satisfies the Green-Lazarsfeld property \(N_p\) if and only if \(a \geq 1\), \(a + b \geq 3 +p\) and \(a + 2b \geq 3 + p\). In the present paper, the author proves the only if part of the conjecture. He also observes that there is a smooth elliptic curve \(E\) on \(X\) such that \(E \equiv 2C_0 - f\) (a result of Gallego and Purnaprajna), and the conjecture suggests that when \(L\) is very ample, \((X, L)\) satisfies the property \(N_p\) if and only if both \((C_0, L| C_0)\) and \((E, L| E)\) satisfy the property \(N_p\). For a general ruled surface \(X\) of invariant \(e\) over a curve \(C\) of genus \(g\), the author proves: Suppose \(e \geq g -2\) and \(b - ae \geq 3g -2\). Then \(L \equiv aC_0 + bf\) satisfies property \(N_p\) if and only if \(b - ae \geq 2g+1+p\). The author also proves this result when \(C\) is a hyperelliptic curve of genus \(g \geq 2\). The readers are referred to the paper for more detailed results.