In this note, we prove that the syzygy bundle $M_L$ is cohomologically stable with respect to $L$ for any ample and globally generated line bundle $L$ on an Enriques (resp. bielliptic) surface over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $\neq 2$ (resp. $\neq 2,3$). In particular our result on complex Enriques surfaces improves a result of Torres-López and Zamora by removing a condition on Clifford index. Together with the results of Camere and Caucci--Lahoz, it implies that $M_L$ is stable with respect to $L$ for an ample and globally generated line bundle $L$ on any smooth minimal co…
We show that the linear syzygy spaces of elliptic normal curves, their secant varieties and of bielliptic canonical curves are spanned by geometric syzygies.
Raynaud has shown that over a general curve of genus $g \ge 2$, every semistable bundle of rank three and integral slope admits a theta divisor. We show that this can fail for special curves: Over any bielliptic curve of genus $g \ge 5$, we construct a stable rank three bundle of trivial determinant with no theta divisor. This gives a partial answer to a question of Beauville.
We study some particular loci inside the moduli space $\mathcal{M}_g$, namely the bielliptic locus (i.e. the locus of curves admitting a $2:1$ cover over an elliptic curve $E$) and the bihyperelliptic locus (i.e. the locus of curves admitting a $2:1$ cover over a hyperelliptic curve $C'$, $g(C') \geq 2$). We show that the bielliptic locus is not a totally geodesic subvariety of $\mathcal{A}_g$ if $g \geq 4$ (while it is for $g=3$, see [16]) and that the bihyperelliptic locus is not totally geodesic in $\mathcal{A}_g$ if $g \geq 3g'$. We also give a lower bound for the rank of the second gaussi…
We construct two pencils of bielliptic curves of genus three and genus five. The first pencil is associated with a general abelian surface with a polarization of type $(1,2)$. The second pencil is related to the first by an unramified double cover, the Prym variety of which is canonically isomorphic to the Jacobian of a very general curve of genus two. Our results are obtained by analyzing suitable elliptic fibrations on the associated Kummer surfaces and rational double covers among them.
We study the Hodge structure of elliptic surfaces which are canonically defined from bielliptic curves of genus three. We prove that the period map for the second cohomology has one dimensional fibers, and the period map for the total cohomology is of degree twelve, and moreover, by adding the information of the Hodge structure of the canonical divisor, we prove a generic Torelli theorem for these elliptic surfaces. Finally, we give explicit examples of the pair of non-isomorphic elliptic surfaces which have the same Hodge structure on themselves and the same Hodge structure on their canonical…
Let the bielliptic locus be the closure in the moduli space of stable curves of the locus of smooth curves that are double covers of genus 1 curves. In this paper we compute the class of the bielliptic locus in \bar{M}_3 in terms of a standard basis of the rational Chow group of codimension-2 classes in the moduli space. Our method is to test the class on the hyperelliptic locus: this gives the desired result up to two free parameters, which are then determined by intersecting the locus with two surfaces in \bar{M}_3.
In this paper we study bielliptic curves of genus 3 defined over an algebraically closed field $k$ and the intersection of the moduli space $\M_3^b$ of such curves with the hyperelliptic moduli $\H_3$. Such intersection $§$ is an irreducible, 3-dimensional, rational algebraic variety. We determine the equation of this space in terms of the $Gl(2, k)$-invariants of binary octavics as defined in \cite{hyp_mod_3} and find a birational parametrization of $§$. We also compute all possible subloci of curves for all possible automorphism group $G$. Moreover, for every rational moduli point $\p \in §$…
We determine all modular curves X(N) (with $N\geq 7$) which are hyperelliptic or bielliptic. We make available a proof that the automorphism group of X(N) coincides with the normalizer of $Γ(N)$ in $\operatorname{PSL}_2(\mathbb{R})$.
We determine which of the modular curves $X_Δ(N)$, that is, curves lying between $X_0(N)$ and $X_1(N)$, are bielliptic. Somewhat surprisingly, we find that one of these curves has exceptional automorphisms. Finally we find all $X_Δ(N)$ that have infinitely many quadratic points over $\mathbb{Q}$.
We prove some results on algebraic curves $X$ of genus $g\geq 2$ in characteristic $0$. For example: Assume that $X$ has an automorphism $σ$ of prime order $p\geq 5$. If $σ$ has no fixed points, then $X$ cannot be trigonal. On the other hand, if $σ$ has fixed points, then $X$ is bielliptic only if it belongs to one of three extremal types of curves of small genus.
Let $N\geq 1$ be a square-free integer such that the modular curve $X_0^*(N)$ has genus $\geq 2$. We prove that $X_0^*(N)$ is bielliptic exactly for $19$ values of $N$, and we determine the automorphism group of these bielliptic curves. In particular, we obtain the first examples of nontrivial $Aut(X_0^*(N))$ when the genus of $X_0^*(N)$ is $\geq 3$. Moreover, we prove that the set of all quadratic points over $\mathbb{Q}$ for the modular curve $X_0^*(N)$ with genus $\geq 2$ and $N$ square-free is not finite exactly for $51$ values of $N$.
Green's canonical syzygy conjecture asserts a simple relationship between the Clifford index of a smooth projective curve and the shape of the minimal free resolution of its homogeneous ideal in the canonical embedding. We prove the analogue of this conjecture formulated by Bayer and Eisenbud for a class of non-reduced curves called ribbons. Our proof uses the results of Voisin and Hirschowitz-Ramanan on Green's conjecture for general smooth curves.
Let $N\geq 1$ be a non-square free integer and let $W_N$ be a non-trivial subgroup of the group of the Atkin-Lehner involutions of $X_0(N)$ such that the modular curve $X_0(N)/W_N$ has genus at least two. We determine all pairs $(N,W_N)$ such that $X_0(N)/W_N$ is a bielliptic curve and the pairs $(N,W_N)$ such that $X_0(N)/W_N$ has an infinite number of quadratic points over $\mathbb{Q}$.
In this paper we describe the Frobenius pull-backs of the syzygy bundles $Syz_C(X^a, Y^a, Z^a)$, $a \geq 1$, on the projective Fermat curve C of degree n in characteristics coprime to n, either by giving their strong Harder-Narasimhan Filtration if $Syz_C(X^a, Y^a, Z^a)$ is not strongly semistable or in the strongly semistable case by their periodicity behavior. Moreover, we apply these results to Hilbert-Kunz functions, to find Frobenius periodicities of the restricted cotangent bundle $Ω_{P^2}|_C$ of arbitrary length and a problem of Brenner regarding primes with strongly semistable reductio…
We prove the Green conjecture for generic curves of odd genus. That is we prove the vanishing $K_{k,1}(X,K_X)=0$ for $X$ generic of genus $2k+1$. The curves we consider are smooth curves $X$ on a K3 surface whose Picard group has rank 2. This completes our previous work, where the Green conjecture for generic curves of genus $g$ with fixed gonality $d$ was proved in the range $d\geq g/3$, with the possible exception of the generic curves of odd genus.
This paper is a sequel to arXiv:1109.4986, where we proved that a general smooth curve of odd genus, canonically or bicanonically embedded, has semistable finite Hilbert points. Here, we prove that a generic canonically embedded curve of even genus has semistable finite Hilbert points. More precisely, we prove that a generic canonically embedded trigonal curve of even genus has semistable finite Hilbert points. Furthermore, we show that the analogous result fails for bielliptic curves. Namely, the Hilbert points of bielliptic curves are asymptotically semistable but become non-semistable below…
In previous works, the authors investigated the relationships between linear stability of a generated linear series $|V|$ on a curve $C$, and slope stabillity of the vector bundle $M_{V,L} := \ker (V \otimes \mathcal{O}_C \to L)$. In particular, the second named author and L. Stoppino conjecture that, for a complete linear system $|L|$, linear (semi)stability is equivalent to slope (semi)stability of $M_V$, and the first and third named authors proved that this conjecture holds for hyperelliptic and for generic curves. In this work we provide a counterexample to this conjecture on any smooth p…
In this note we study curves (arrangements) in the complex projective plane which can be considered as generalizations of free curves. We construct families of arrangements which are nearly free and possess interesting geometric properties. More generally, we study $3$-syzygy arrangements and we present examples that admit unexpected curves.
Let $C$ be a smooth complex irreducible projective curve of genus $g$ with general moduli, and let $(L,H^0(L))$ be a generated complete linear series of type $(d,r+1)$ over $C$. The syzygy bundle, denoted by $M_L$, is the kernel of the evaluation map $H^0(L)\otimes\mathcal O_C\to L$. In this work we have a double purpose. The first one is to give new examples of stable syzygy bundles admitting theta divisor over general curves. We prove that if $M_L$ is strictly semistable then $M_L$ admits reducible theta divisor. The second purpose is to study the cohomological semistability of $M_L$, and in…
Let $C_k$ be a smooth projective curve over a global field $k$, which is neither rational nor elliptic. Harris-Silverman, when $p=0$, and Schweizer, when $p>0$ together with an extra condition on the Jacobian variety $\operatorname{Jac}(C_k)$ arising from Mordell's conjecture, showed that $C$ has infinitely many quadratic points over some finite field extension $L/k$ inside $\overline{k}$ (a fixed algebraic closure of $k$) if and only if $C$ is hyperelliptic or bielliptic. Now, let $C_k$ be a smooth plane curve of a fixed degree $d\geq4$ with $p=0$ or $p>(d-1)(d-2)+1$ (up to an extra condition…
We introduce the problem of GIT stability for syzygy points of canonical curves with a view toward a GIT construction of the canonical model of the moduli space of stable curves. As the first step in this direction, we prove semi-stability of the first syzygy point for a general canonical curve of odd genus.
We prove the Geometric Syzygy Conjecture for generic canonical curves of even genus. This result extends Green's classical result on the generation of the ideal of a canonical curve by rank four quadrics to the highest linear syzygy group.
We investigate degenerations of syzygy bundles on plane curves over $p$-adic fields. We use Mustafin varieties which are degenerations of projective spaces to find a large family of models of plane curves over the ring of integers such that the special fiber consists of multiple projective lines meeting in one point. On such models we investigate vector bundles whose generic fiber is a syzygy bundle and which become trivial when restricted to each projective line in the special fiber. Hence these syzygy bundles have strongly semistable reduction. This investigation is motivated by the fundamen…
We consider the generic Green conjecture on syzygies of a canonical curve, and particularly the following reformulation thereof: {\it For a smooth projective curve $C$ of genus $g$ in characteristic 0, the condition ${\rm Cliff} C>l$ is equivalent to the fact that $K_{g-l'-2,1}(C,K_C)=0, \forall l'\leq l$.} We propose a new approach, which allows up to prove this result for generic curves $C$ of genus $g(C)$ and gonality ${\rm gon(C)}$ in the range $$\frac{g(C)}{3}+1\leq {\rm gon(C)}\leq\frac{g(C)}{2}+1.$$
Let X be a smooth complex projective curve of genus g bigger or equal to 1. If g is bigger than 1 assume further that X is either bielliptic or with general moduli. Under a natural condition on slopes, we prove that there exists a short exact sequence of semistable vector bundles with given ranks and degrees. The importance of the paper consists of the new method adopted for the proves.
Here we consider the set of bundles $\{V_n\}_{n\geq 1}$ associated to the plane trinomial curves $k[x,y,z]/(h)$. We prove that the Frobenius semistability behaviour of the reduction mod $p$ of $V_n$ is a function of the congruence class of $p$ modulo $2λ_h$ (an integer invariant associated to $h$). As one of the consequences of this, we prove that if $V_n$ is semistable in characteristic 0, then its reduction mod $p$ is strongly semistable, for $p$ in a Zariski dense set of primes. Moreover, for any given finitely many such semistable bundles $V_n$, there is a common Zariski dense set of such …
Let $C:f=0$ be a reduced curve in the complex projective plane. The minimal degree $mdr(f)$ of a Jacobian syzygy for $f$, which is the same as the minimal degree of a derivation killing $f$, is an important invariant of the curve $C$, for instance it can be used to determined whether $C$ is free or nearly free. In this note we study the relations of this invariant $mdr(f)$ with a decomposition of $C$ as a union of two curves $C_1$ and $C_2$, without common irreducible components. When all the singularities that occur are quasihomogeneous, a result by Schenck, Terao and Yoshinaga yields finer i…
We show that for $5$-gonal curves of odd genus $g\geq 13$ and even genus $g\geq 28$ the $\lceil \frac{g-1}{2}\rceil$-th syzygy module of the curve is not determined by the syzygies of the scroll swept out by the special pencil of degree $5$.
We construct a three-parameter family of non-hyperelliptic and bielliptic plane genus-three curves whose associated Prym variety is two-isogenous to the Jacobian variety of a general hyperelliptic genus-two curve. Our construction is based on the existence of special elliptic fibrations with the section on the associated Kummer surfaces that provide a simple geometric interpretation for the rational double cover induced by the two-isogeny between the abelian surfaces.
For a finite dimensional vector space G we define the k-th generic syzygy scheme Gensyz_k(G) by explicit equations. We show that the syzygy scheme Syz(f) of any syzygy in the linear strand of a projective variety X which is cut out by quadrics is a cone over a linear section of a corresponding generic syzygy scheme. We also give a geometric description of Gensyz_k(G) for k=0,1,2. In particular Gensyz_2(G) is the union of a Pl"ucker embedded Grassmannian and a linear space. From this we deduce that every smooth, non-degenerate projective curve C which is cut out by quadrics and has a p-th linea…
We introduce a relativization of the secant sheaves used by Ein, Green and Lazarsfeld and apply this construction to the study of syzygies of canonical curves. As a first application, we give a simpler proof of Voisin's Theorem for general canonical curves. This completely determines the terms of the minimal free resolution of the coordinate ring of such curves. Secondly, in the case of curves of even genus, we enhance Voisin's Theorem by providing a structure theorem for the last syzygy space, resolving the Geometric Syzygy Conjecture in even genus.
We start the study of reduced complex projective plane curves, whose Jacobian syzygy module has 3 generators. Among these curves one finds the nearly free curves introduced by the authors, and the plus-one generated line arrangements introduced by Takuro Abe. All the Thom-Sebastiani type plane curves, and more generally, any curve whose global Tjurina number is equal to a lower bound given by A. du Plessis and C.T.C. Wall, are 3-syzygy curves. Rational plane curves which are nearly cuspidal, i.e. which have only cusps except one singularity with two branches, are also related to this class of …
We use Green's canonical syzygy conjecture for generic curves to prove that the Green-Lazarsfeld gonality conjecture holds for generic curves of genus g, and gonality d, if $g/3<d<[g/2]+2$.
We describe a systematic way of constructing effective divisors on the moduli space of stable curves of genus g having exceptionally small slope. We prove that any divisor on \bar{M}_g consisting of curves failing a certain Green-Lazarsfeld syzygy type condition, provides a counterexample to the Harris-Morrison Slope Conjecture. These divisors generalize our original isolated counterexample to the Slope Conjecture which was the divisor on M_{10} of curves lying on K3 surfaces. We also introduce a new stratification of M_g, somewhat similar to the classical stratification given by gonality, but…
This short note provides a quick introduction to relative canonical resolutions of curves on rational normal scrolls. We present our Macaulay2-package which computes the relative canonical resolution associated to a curve and a pencil of divisors. Most of our experimental data can be found on a dedicated webpage. We end with a list of conjectural shapes of relative canonical resolutions. In particular, for curves of genus $g=n\cdot k +1$ and pencils of degree $k$ for $n\ge 1$, we conjecture that the syzygy divisors on the Hurwitz space $\mathscr{H}_{g,k}$ constructed by Deopurkar and Patel all…
We show that if $R$ is a two dimensional standard graded ring (with the graded maximal ideal ${\bf m}$) of characteristic $p>0$ and $I\subset R$ is a graded ideal with $\ell(R/I) <\infty$ then the $F$-threshold $c^I({\bf m})$ can be expressed in terms of a strong HN (Harder-Narasimahan) slope of the canonical syzygy bundle on $\mbox{Proj}~R$. Thus $c^I({\bf m})$ is a rational number. This gives us a well defined notion, of the $F$-threshold $c^I({\bf m})$ in characteristic $0$, in terms of a HN slope of the syzygy bundle on $\mbox{Proj}~R$. This generalizes our earlier result (in [TrW]) where …
For any finite abelian group G, we study the moduli space of abelian $G$-covers of elliptic curves, in particular identifying the irreducible components of the moduli space. We prove that, in the totally ramified case, the moduli space has trivial rational Picard group, and it is birational to the moduli space M_{1,n}, where n is the number of branch points. In the particular case of moduli of bielliptic curves, we also prove that the boundary divisors are a basis of the rational Picard group of the admissible covers compactification of the moduli space. Our methods are entirely algebro-geomet…
In a first part of this paper, we prove constancy of the canonical graded Betti table among the smooth curves in linear systems on Gorenstein weak Fano toric surfaces. In a second part, we show that Green's canonical syzygy conjecture holds for all smooth curves of genus at most 32 or Clifford index at most 6 on arbitrary toric surfaces. Conversely we use known results on Green's conjecture (due to Lelli-Chiesa) to obtain new facts about graded Betti tables of projectively embedded toric surfaces.
We explore the concept of projections of syzygies and prove two new technical results; we firstly give a precise characterization of syzygy schemes in terms of their projections, secondly, we prove a converse to Aprodu's Projection Theorem. Applying these results, we prove that extremal syzygies of general curves of non-maximal gonality embedded by a linear system of sufficiently high degree arise from scrolls. Lastly, we prove Green's Conjecture for general covers of elliptic curves (of arbitrary degree) as well as proving a new result for curves of even genus and maximal gonality.
We define syzygy points of projective schemes, and introduce a program of studying their GIT stability. Then we describe two cases where we have managed to make some progress in this program, that of polarized K3 surfaces of odd genus, and of genus six canonical curves. Applications of our results include effectivity statements for divisor classes on the moduli space of odd genus K3 surfaces, and a new construction in the Hassett-Keel program for the moduli space of genus six curves.
Based on a recent result of Voisin [2001] we describe the last nonzero syzygy space in the linear strand of a canonical curve C of even genus g=2k lying on a K3 surface, as the ambient space of a k-2-uple embedded P^{k+1}. Furthermore the geometric syzygies constructed by Green and Lazarsfeld [1984] from g^1_{k+1}'s form a non degenerate configuration of finitely many rational normal curves on this P^{k+1}. This proves a natural generalization of Green's conjecture [1984], namely that the geometric syzygies should span the space of all syzygies, in this case.