Pencils on separating \((M-2)\)-curves (Q741290)

Let \(X\) be a smooth and geometrically irreducible projective curve defined over \(\mathbb {R}\). Let \(s\) be the number of connected components \(C_1,\dots ,C_s\) of the real locus \(X(\mathbb {R})\). The paper under review studies the following problem. Fix integers \(k\), \(s'\) with \(0\leq s' \leq s\). Fix \(s'\) of the connected components \(C_{i_1},\dots ,C_{i_{s'}}\) of \(X(\mathbb {R})\). Most of the results in the paper under review concernining the existence of a degree \(k\) morphism \(f: X\to \mathbb {P}^1\) defined over \(\mathbb {R}\) such that \(f\) has odd parity on \(C_j\) if \(j\in \{i_1,\dots ,i_{s'}\}\) and \(f(C_j)\neq \mathbb {P}^1(\mathbb {R})\) if \(j\notin \{i_1,\dots ,i_{s'}\}\). An obvious necessary conditions is that \(s' \equiv s \pmod{2}\). Most of the results are for the integer \(k=g-1\), since the case of larger \(k\) was previously studied. The main curves studied are the \((M-2)\)-curves, i.e., the curves with \(s = g-1\); \(X\) is called separating if \(X(\mathbb {C})\setminus X(\mathbb {R})\) has two connected components. The author calls of special type a separating \((M-2)\) curve such that there is a degree \(g-1\) morphism \(X\to \mathbb {P}^1\) defined over \(\mathbb {R}\) with odd parity on \(C_2,\dots ,C_{g-1}\) and hence with \(f(C_1) =\mathbb {P}^1(\mathbb {R})\). He proves that for all \(g\geq 3\) there is a separating \((M-2)\) curve of genus \(g\) of special type. He proves that the two stratifications of the Teichmüller space given by special type and separating gonality (at the degree \(g-1\)) are strictly related. As an application, he proves that for all \(g\geq 4\) there is a genus \(g\) real curve with an isolated real linear system \(g^1_{g-1}\). This interesting paper is a sequel, e.g., of [\textit{A. Gabard}, Comment. Math. Helv. 81, No. 4, 945--964 (2006; Zbl 1112.14066); \textit{F. Cools} and \textit{M. Coppens}, Geom. Dedicata 169, 49--56 (2014; Zbl 1308.14036); \textit{M. Coppens}, Monatsh. Math. 170, No. 1, 1--10 (2013; Zbl 1276.14039); \textit{M. Coppens} and \textit{J. Huisman}, Math. Nachr. 286, No. 8--9, 799--816 (2013; Zbl 1307.14047); \textit{M. Coppens} and \textit{G. Martens}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 214, No. 6, 841--849 (2010; Zbl 1184.14054)].