A remark on very ample linear series. II (Q453175)

The article under review contributes to the study of special linear series on smooth irreducible projective curves. Throughout this review, we let \(X\) be a smooth irreducible projective curve of genus \(g > 1\). The index of specialty of a complete linear series \(g^r_d = |D|\) on \(X\) is the number \(h^1(D)=g-d+r\geq 0\). The series \(|D|\) is said to be \textit{special} if \(h^1(D) > 0\) and \textit{very special} if \(h^1(D) > 1\). Despite many advances in Brill-Noether theory in the past four decades, our modern understanding of very special linear series on curves is still poor. Aside from a number of lemmas and propositions that maybe of independent interest, the article under review contains the following main results on special and very special linear series. Firstly, the article classifies complete, special and very ample \(g^r_d\)'s on trigonal curves. Let \(X\) be a trigonal curve of genus \(g > 4\) then \(X\) has a unique \(g^1_3\). It is shown that any complete, special and very ample \(g^r_d\) on \(X\) is the Serre dual of a certain multiple of the \(g^1_3\). More precisely, any such \(g^r_d\) must be of the form \(|K_X-\lambda.g^1_3|\), where \(K_X\) is the canonical class, \(0 \leq \lambda \leq m+1\), and \(m\) is the Maroni invariant of \(X\). Conversely, the linear series \(|K_X-\lambda.g^1_3|\) is very ample if and only if either \(0 \leq \lambda \leq m+1\) and \(d > g\) or \(0 \leq \lambda < m\) and \(d \leq g\). Secondly, the article sheds light on the more delicate aspects of Brill-Noether theory of curves of low genus. The Clifford index \(c\) of \(X\) gives a well-known obstruction to the existence of very special \(g^r_d\)'s (with \(r \geq 1\)) on \(X\). More precisely, if \(d - 2r < c\) then \(X\) does not carry a very special \(g^r_d\). If this is the only obstruction to the existence of a complete \(g^r_d\) on \(X\), one says that \(X\) is a \textit{divisorial complete} curve. The article shows that a curve \(X\) without very special and very ample linear series must be divisorial complete. Conversely, the article shows that any divisorial complete curve of genus \(g \leq 8\) has no very special and very ample linear series. However, the article shows that there are divisorial complete genus 9 curves with and without very special and very ample linear series. For part I, see [the author and \textit{S. Park}, Arch. Math. 80, No. 6, 611--614 (2003; Zbl 1039.14013)].