Components of moduli spaces of spin curves with the expected codimension (Q500260)

Let \(\mathcal{S}_g\) be the moduli space of spin curves of genus \(g\), parameterizing pairs \([C, L]\) where \(C\) is a smooth genus \(g\) curve and \(L\) is a theta-characteristic, i.e., \(L\) is a degree \(g-1\) line bundle on \(C\) such that \(L^2\) is isomorphic to the canonical line bundle. For a nonnegative integer \(r\), let \(\mathcal{S}_g^r\subset \mathcal{S}_g\) be the locus parametrizing spin curves \([C, L]\) that satisfy \(h^0(L) \geq r+1\) and \(h^0(L) \equiv r+1~\pmod{2}\). \textit{J. Harris} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 271, 611--638 (1982; Zbl 0513.14025)] proved that each irreducible component of \(\mathcal{S}_g^r\) has dimension \(\geq 3g-3 - {r+1\choose 2}\) in \(\mathcal{S}_g\), and hence \({r+1\choose 2}\) is called the expected codimension. For small values of \(r\), there always exists an irreducible component of \(\mathcal{S}_g^r\) having the expected codimension in \(\mathcal{S}_g\) [\textit{A. Beauville}, Invent. Math. 41, 149--196 (1977; Zbl 0333.14013); \textit{M. Teixidor i Bigas}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 302, 99--115 (1987; Zbl 0627.14022); \textit{G. Farkas}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 581, 151--173 (2005; Zbl 1076.14035)]. Farkas further conjectured that for all \(r\geq 2\) and all \(g\geq {r+2\choose 2}\), \(\mathcal{S}_g^r\) has an irreducible component of the expected codimension. The main result of this paper proves Farkas' conjecture. The proof consists of two steps. First when \(g = {r+2\choose 2}\), the author proves the conjecture inductively on \(r\), by using the Gaussian-Wahl map and deforming a linearly normal reducible curve with an elliptic normal component. Next, combining it with Farkas' inductive argument [Zbl 1076.14035, Proposition 2.4] gives the full result for \(g \geq {r+2\choose 2}\). Remark: In a sequel work [``Components of moduli spaces of spin curves with the expected codimension II'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:1502.05262}], the author is able to generalize the result to the range \(g \geq \sim r^2/4\).