Obstructions to deforming space curves lying on a smooth cubic surface (Q6047254)

The main result of this paper is the proof of a conjecture of \textit{J. O. Kleppe} [Lect. Notes Math. 1266, 187--207 (1987; Zbl 0631.14022)] and modified by \textit{P. Ellia} [Math. Ann. 277, 433--446 (1987; Zbl 0635.14006)] about maximal families of curves embedded in \(\mathbb{P}^3\) lying on a smooth cubic surface, in the case where the general member is quadratically normal. The setup of the conjecture is as follows: let \(W\) be an irreducible closed subset of the Hilbert scheme \(H(d,g)^{sc}\) of smooth connected curves in \(\mathbb{P}^3\) of degree \(d\) and genus \(g\), such that the least degree of surfaces containing a general member \(C\) of \(W\) is \(3\), and such that its general member \(C\) lies on a smooth cubic surface. Denote by \(\mathcal{I}_C\) the sheaf of ideals defining \(C\) in \(\mathbb{P}^3\), and by \(\mathcal{I}_C(n):= \mathcal{I}_C \otimes_{\mathbb{P}^3} \mathcal{O}_{\mathbb{P}^3} (n)\). Furthermore, a curve \(C\) is called linearly normal if \(H^1(\mathbb{P}^3, \mathcal{I}_C(1) ) =0\) and quadratically normal if \(H^1(\mathbb{P}^3, \mathcal{I}_C(2) ) =0\). If \(d > 9, g \geq 3d-18\), if the general member \(C\) is linearly normal and if \(H^1(\mathbb{P}^3, \mathcal{I}_C(3) ) \neq 0\), Kleppe and Ellia conjecture that \(W\) is an irreducible component of \((H(d,g)^{sc})_{red}\) and that \(H(d,g)^{sc}\) is generically non-reduced along \(W\). The main result is a proof of the above conjecture, assuming the additional hypothesis \(H^1(\mathbb{P}^3, \mathcal{I}_C(2) ) =0\). A second result is a sufficient condition for curves \(C\) lying on a smooth cubic surface \(S\) to be obstructed in \(\mathbb{P}^3\), i.e., a sufficient condition for the Hilbert scheme of \(\mathbb{P}^3\) to be singular at \([C]\): \textbf{Theorem.} Let \(L\) denote the class in \(\mathrm{Pic} (S)\) of the invertible sheaf \(\mathcal{O}_S(C) \otimes_S N^{-1}_{S/\mathbb{P}^3} \). Suppose that \(L + K_S \geq 0\) and that there exists a \((-1)\)-curve \(E\) on \(S\) such that \(m:= - L \cdot E > 0\). Then \(C\) is obstructed in \(\mathbb{P}^3\) if either \(m =1\) or if \( 2 \leq m \leq 3\) and the restriction map \[ H^0(S, L + K_S - 2mE)\to H^0(E, (L + K_S - 2mE)|_E) \] is surjective.