Plus-one generated curves, Briançon-type polynomials and eigenscheme ideals (Q7020201)

Let \(f \in S = \mathbb C [x,y,z]\) define a reduced curve \(C \subset \mathbb P^2\) of degree \(d \geq 3\). The Jacobian ideal \(J_f\) is generated by the partials \(f_x, f_y, f_z\), let \(\mathrm{Syz} (J_f)\) be the graded \(S\)-module of relations among these generators. Then \(C\) is \textit{free} if \(\mathrm{Syz} (J_f)\) is a free graded \(S\)-module and \(C\) is \textit{nearly free} if if \(\mathrm{Syz} (J_f)\) is minimally \(3\)-generated with generator degrees \(d_1 \leq d_2 \leq d_3\) satisfying \(d_1+d_2=d\) and \(d_2=d_3\) [\textit{A. Dimca} and \textit{G. Sticlaru}, Publ. Res. Inst. Math. Sci. 54, No. 1, 163--179 (2018; Zbl 1391.14057)]. The curve \(C\) is a \textit{minimal plus-one generated (MPOG)} if \(\mathrm{Syz} (J_f)\) is minimally \(3\)-generated and \(d_3=d_2+1\). The minimal degree of a non-zero syzygy is denoted \(r = \mathrm{mdr} (f)\) and the total Tjurina number \(\tau (C)\) is the degree of the scheme defined by \(J_f\). \N\N\textit{A. A. Du Plessis} and \textit{C. T. C. Wall} showed that \(\tau (C) \leq \tau (d,r)_{\max}\), where \(\tau (d,r)_{\max} = (d-1)^2-r (d-r-1)\) [Math. Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc. 126, No. 2, 259--266 (1999; Zbl 0926.14012)]. They also observed that equality holds if and only if \(C\) is free, in which case \(r < d/2\). \textit{The first named author} showed that \(\tau (C) = \tau (d,r)_{\max}-1\) if and only if \(C\) is nearly free, in which case \(r \leq d/2\). The first main result of the paper under review is that \(C\) is an MPOG curve if and only if \(\tau (C) = \tau (d,r)_{\max}-2\). The proof is very short and uses a classification of the authors [Geometriae Dedicata 207, 29--49 (2022; Zbl 1505.14073)]. There is not a similar classification for the case \(\tau (C) = \tau (d,r)_{\max} - 3\).\N\N\textit{Briancon-type polynomials} \(h \in R = \mathbb C [x,y]\) are non-homogeneous polynomials defined by the property that the associated mapping \(h: \mathbb C^2 \to \mathbb C\) has all fibers \(h^{-1} (t)\) smooth and irreducible, yet \(h\) is not obtained from a linear form in \(R\) by composition with a polynomial automorphism of \(\mathbb C^2\). \N\textit{E. Artal Bartolo} et al. constructed families of such polynomials [Math. Ann. 299, No. 3, 477--490 (1994; Zbl 0803.13009)], based on an example from unpublished work of \textit{Briancon}. Letting \(s=xy+1, p=xs+1, u = x^2+y\), the simplest examples are \(g = p^2u - (5/3) ps - (1/3) s\) and \(g^\prime = p^2 u - (7/9) ps + (1/9) s\) of degree ten. For these the set of atypical values is known, the smallest set in \(\mathbb C\) away from which the map \(h: \mathbb C^2 \to \mathbb C\) is a locally trivial topological fibration. The authors show that projective closures of the fibers \(h^{-1} (t)\) are free, nearly free, or MPOG for \(h=g, g^\prime\), depending on \(t \in \mathbb C\) and similarly for unions of those fibers with lines of high order contact. The proofs use algebra software such as SINGULAR. They use one of these curves to construct a counterexample to a conjecture found in [\textit{A. Dimca} et al., Result. Math. 79, No. 1, Paper No. 11, 31 p. (2024; Zbl 1532.14062)]. It is natural to ask whether these freeness results apply to any Briancon-type polynomial.\N\NThe paper closes with a theorem showing how discreteness of the eigenschemes of a relation in \(\mathrm{Syz} (J_f)\) can imply the free or MPOG property of a curve, modeled on a similar result of \textit{R. Di Gennaro} et al. [Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 56, No. 7, 2424--2440 (2024; Zbl 1548.14099)].