Part IIB 1995 Complex Algebraic Curves PMHW Example Sheet I (Gom Question 4 onwards, take k = C) 1 10. 1 . Given hyperplanes Ho, - Given points Po,-+, Paz in P" = P(W), no (n-+1) of which are contained in a hyperplane, show that homogeneous coordinates may be chosen on P(W’) so that Py = (1:0:...:0), «++ , Pa = (O:...:0:1) and Pag = (11s...) Hy of P = P(W) such that Ho... Hn = 0, show that homogeneous coordinates 29,-*+,n can be chosen on P(W) such that each Zi; is defined be x; = 0. Show that the set of hyperplanes in P(W) is parametrized by P(1"), where W* is the dual vector space to W. If P,,---, Pyy are points of P(TW), describe the set in P(W*) corresponding to hyperplanes not containing any of the P,. Deduce (assuming k infinite) that there are infinitely many such hyperplanes. . Let V be a hypersurface in P" defined by a non-constant homogeneous polynomial F, and L a (pro- jective) line in P"; show that V and L must meet. Decompose that projective variety V in P® defined by equations X} = X,X3 ,X)X} = X} into irreducible components. . Show that the general equation for a projective conic VC P? can be written in the form x’ Ax = 0, where A is a 3 x 3 symmetric matrix with entries in C and x’ = (29:21:22); show that this equation is irreducible if and only if det() # 0. If V is irreducible, show that V is isomorphic to P*. Consider the projective plane curves corresponding to the following affine curves in A?. (a) (0) zy ()=yr+attyt (a) ay (e) 2279? =y? +27 (Ff) y? attyt (2) with f a polynomial of degree n. Ineach case, calculate the points at infinity of these curves, and find the singular points of the projective curve. TEV CP? is a projective plane curve defined by an irreducible homogeneous polynomial F(X, X1, X2) of positive degree, show that the singular locus of V consists precisely of the points P in P? with 8f/8Xi(P) = 0 for i =0,1,2. Let ¢:V —+ P™ be a morphism from an irreducible projective variety V and assume that W = 4(V) is a subvariety of P™. Prove that W is irreducible. Show that the projective plane curve with equation XoX} = X} + aXX; + bX@ is isomorphic to VC P® defined by equations XoX3 = X?, X} = XiX3 + aXoXi + 6X} via the map ¢ = (X}: XpXi: XoXo: X?) (Tripos Style Question) Explain briefly why a rational map :V — — P” on a smooth projective curve is a morphism. Let V be the projective variety in P® defined by XpX3 = X,Xp and L be the plane given by Xq = 0. Let P be the point (1:0:0:0). Show that the following recipe defines a rational map $ = (0: Xy: Xz: X3) from V to L : For a point @ of V, the line through P and Q meets L in (Q). Show that ¢ is not a morphism. IfV* and L* denote the intersections of V and L respectively with the plane X, = Xp, verify explicitly (i.e. not appealing to the above result) that ¢ induces an isomorphism between V* and L*Part IIB 1995 Complex Algebraic Curves PMHW Example Sheet II (Throughout y 1 10. su may take k =C. For n = 3,4,5, Question n uses Question (n-1).) If P is a smooth point of an irreducible curve V and t a local parameter at P, show that dim, Ov,p/(t*) =n. Suppose that ¢: V —+ V is a surjective morphism of irreducible projective varieties for which the induced map on function fields 6° = idyvy; show that $ = idy. Let 6: V —+ P! be a surjective morphism from an irreducible smooth projective curve V, and suppose that the induced map 9" : k(P!) + &(V) is an isomorphism. Demonstrate the existence of a morphism # : P! — V with y* the inverse of ¢*, and deduce that ¢ is an isomorphism. Suppose that V is an irreducible smooth projective curve and P a point on V with [(P) > 1; show that V is isomorphic to Pt. For D any effective divisor on P!, show that I(D) = deg D + 1. For D any non-zero effective divisor on V not isomorphic to P!, show that [(D) < deg D. . Let P be the point at infinity on P and D = 3P; investigate the morphism @p. By choosing suitable subspaces of C(3P), obtain morphisms from P* to P? whose images are respectively the cuspidal cubic and the nodal cubic. With notation as in Question 6, by considering a suitable subspace of £(4P), demonstrate the existence of a smooth curve V C P° of degree 4 which is isomorphic to P'. (cf. Example Sheet T, Question 10 where we saw a smooth curve of degree 4 in P® which is not isomorphic to PY.) Assuming the fact that every smooth plane cubic in P? has an inflexion point (Le. a point P © V for which some line meets V at P with multiplicity > 3), show from first. principles that homogeneous coordinates may be chosen on P? with respect to which V has equation XoXP = Xi(X1 — Xo)(Xi — AXo) for some complex number A # 0, 1. Let P be the point at infinity of the plane curve with equation as in Question 8. Show that 2/y is a local parameter at P, where 2 = X,/Xo and y = X2/Xo. (Hint: Consider the affine piece Xp #0) Hence calculate the numbers vp(z) and vp(y). Find a general form for a function in L(mP), and show that I(mP) =m for m > 0. An irreducible smooth projective curve V is covered by two affine pieces (with respect to different embeddings) which are affine plane curves with equations y* = f(z) and v? = 9(u) respectively, where f is a square free polynomial of degree 2n, and where u = 1/z and v = y/z* in k(V). Describe the polynomial g(u.) and show that the canonical divisor class of V has degree an—4.11 12. 13. (Tripos Style Question) If f, 9 € {x,y} are coprime polynomials over a field &, show that there exist polynomials a, 8 k{x, y] such that af + 8g is a polynomial in z only. If V and W are the affine plane curves defined by f and g respectively, and P€ VW, we define the intersection multiplicity of the two curves of P to be dims Oat,p/(f,9). Show that this number is always finite, and calculate it in the case f = y—z*, g = y?—2° and P = (0,0). (Tripos Style Question) f(x) be the equation of an affine plane curve UC A?, when f is a polynomial of degree NV with distinct roots, and V C P? be the corresponding projective plane curve (with equation X)X}-! = F(Xo, X;)). Prove that V is a smooth curve, Let P = (0: 0: 1); calculate vp(z) and v,(y). Deduce (without using Riemann-Roch) that L£((n+1)P) = £(nP) +1 for all n > N(N +3). (Paper IV Tripos Style Question). Explain what is meant by the genus 9(V) and a canonical divisor Ky of a smooth projective curve V. Explain why deg(Ky) is a well-defined number and state the relation of this number to the genus. If V is a smooth projective plane curve defined by an irreducible polynomial F of degree d, calculate both g(V) and deg(K’v) from first principles and hence check that your stated relation holds in this case. [You may assume the fact that if U is an irreducible affine variety, any rational function which is everywhere regular on U’ will be an element of the coordinate ring &(U]]-Part IIB 1995 Complex Algebraic Curves PMHW Example Sheet III (Throughout you may assume the Riemann-Roch Theorem) L. Let V be a smooth projective curve and P any point of V. Show there exists a non-constant rational function f € &(V/) which is regular everywhere except at P. Show furthermore that there is a projective embedding of V for which the image of P is the only point at infinity. 2. Let V be a smooth projective curve of genus g; show that there is a non-constant morphism o:V +P! of degree < g +1. 3. Suppose that Pp is a point on an elliptic curve V and gsr: V W Cc P? the corresponding embedding of V with image W. Show that P € W is an inflexion point if and only if P@ P@P is the identity under the group law on V determined by Py. Deduce that if P,Q are inflexion points of W, so too is the 3rd point of intersection R of the line PQ with W 4. Let V be the plane cubic curve zy? + zy = 2° — 223, and take the identity dement Pp of the group law on V to be the point (0: 1: 0) at infinity. If P = (0 : 0: 1), calculate the points nP=P@---@PofV forn<4. g 3. Let +: V —rP! be a smooth hyperelliptic curve and P # Q ramification points for x. Show . that as elements of CU(V), P — Q #0 but (P — Q) =0. : 6. Let +: VP! be a smooth hyperelliptic curve of genus g > 1 and Q any point of P?. "We let ¢*Q denote the divisor of degree 2 on V corresponding to Q € Pie. $Q = ¥_up(6(t))P, where ¢ is a local parameter at Q. Show that £((g- 1)4"Q) > g on V, oP)=Q _ and hence deduce that £(Ky — (9 —1)"@) > 0, ie. that Ky ~ (9 —1)¢"Q on V. Use this to identify the space £(Ky), and also the image of the canonical map $xy : V — P?"?. 7. Calculate the j-invariant of the Fermat cubic 2°+y+z = 0. (HINT: Find linear combinations Y,Z of yz such that y° + 2° = $ZY? + 32°] 8. Show that the plane cubic B+ytz—3rcyz=0 fails to-be smooth and irreducible if and only if 4 = 1. Adapt your argument from Question 7 to show that any elliptic curve may be embedded in P? with an equation of the above form with 8 #1. 0. If V is a smooth curve of genus 2 and D a divisor on V, show that $p is an embedding if and only if deg(D) > 5. 10. If V is a smooth plane quartic, show that V is not hyperelliptic. 11. Let V bea smooth non-hyperelliptic curve of genus g > 3, and @ = xy : V + P?"* is canonical embedding. Let H be a divisor on V corresponding to a hyperplane of P9*; show that C(H) > 9 and hence that C(Ky — H) > 0. Deduce that H ~ Ky, and also that any effective divisor D ~ Ky corresponds to some hyperplane.12 13. a. With the notation as in Question 11, suppose that D = P, +-+--+Ph is an effective divisor on V with the P, distinct, and let Q; denote the point 4(P,) in P?-! and Span < Qi,...,Qn > denote the linear subspace of P?~' spanned by the points @;. Show that the Riemann-Roch Theorem for D can be interpretted geometrically as saying that C(D) = deg D — dimSpan < Q,...,Qn > (Tripos Style Question) ‘Are the following statements concerning complex projective curves true or false? Give a brief proof or a countexample as appropriate (a) Any plane curve of degree d > 3 is non-rational (8) Any smooth curve admits a morphism to Pt (c) Any smooth curve which admits a morphism from P* will be isomorphic to Pt (a) Any morphism between a smooth curve of genus 4 and a smooth curve of genus 3 must be constant Let V CP? be a smooth cubic curve whose defining equation has real coefficients. Show that V has either 1 or 3 real inflexion points. : (HINT: Look up Sylvester's problem in an appropriate book.|