On the Lüroth semigroup and Weierstrass canonical divisors (Q789461)

Let C be an algebraic curve (over an infinite field k); the natural numbers which appear as the degree of a dominant map \(C\to {\mathbb{P}}^ 1\) form an additive semigroup, which is called the ''Lüroth semigroup'' of this curve (or of its function field). The smallest number in this semigroup is called the ''irrationality'' of this curve (and this notion can be generalized to higher dimensional varieties). Several properties of these concepts are derived, e.g. theorem 2: If \(R\subset S\), where R is a function field of one variable, S a function field, and k an infinite ground field, then \(irr(S)\geq irr(R)\). An effective canonical divisor K is said to be ''Weierstrass'' if there exists \(x\in L(K)\) such that \([R:k(x)]<g=genus(R),\) where R is a function field in one variable over k. E.g. a function field of genus \(g>2\) is hyperelliptic iff every effective canonical divisor is Weierstrass. Some properties, applications and examples of these notions are given.