Rationality and parametrizations of algebraic curves under specializations (Q6612183)

The authors study the properties of an algebraic curve that depends on parameters \(a_1,\dots,a_n\), i.e., the zero-set of a polynomial \(F(x,y)\) with \(F\in\mathbb{K}(a_1,\dots,a_n)[x,y]\), where \(\mathbb{K}\) denotes a computable field of characteristic~\(0\) and where \(F(x,y)\) is assumed to be irreducible over the algebraic closure of \(\mathbb{K}(a_1,\dots,a_n)\). Clearly, certain algebraic properties of the curve defined by~\(F\) that hold for generic values of the parameters, such as the genus of the curve or reducibility, can change when \(a_1,\dots,a_n\) are instantiated by special values. One goal of the paper is to identify (Zariski-closed) sets in the parameter space where non-generic behavior may appear. This leads to a partition of the parameter space, so that in each subset of the partition the specialized curve is either reducible or its (geometric) genus is invariant. In the case of genus-zero curves, i.e., curves that admit a rational parametrization, the parameter space can be further subdivided into regions where a given parametrization (for generic parameters) specializes properly. As applications of their results, the authors discuss (i) level curves of a surface (ii) linear homotopy deformation of two curves, and (iii) rational solutions of functional algebraic equations.