Divisors on a non-singular non-hyperelliptic curve of genus 5

algebraic-geometrycurvesdivisors-algebraic-geometry

Now $X$ is a non-singular and non-hyperelliptic curve of genus 5. Then if $X$ has no $g^1_3$, prove that there is a divisor of degree 6 such that $\mathcal{O}_X(D)$ is base point free.

I am confused with the condition, since I cannot directly construct or guess a possible divisor. Maybe it is related to the canonical divisor and the $g^1_4$ whose existence is mentioned in Hartshorne's Algebraic Geometry.

Best Answer

Let $D$ be a divisor of degree 6 and let $P$ be an arbitrary point on $X$. Then Riemann-Roch applied to $D$ and $D-P$ gives the following equations: $$l(D)-l(K-D)=2,$$ $$l(D-P)-l(K-D+P)=1.$$ Subtracting, we get $$l(D)-l(D-P)+l(K-D+P)-l(K-D)=1,$$ and now we have some observations to make:

  1. to show $D$ is base-point free, it is enough to show that $l(D)-l(D-P)=1$ for all $P$;
  2. $l(D)-l(D-P)$ and $l(K-D+P)-l(K-D)$ are both either $0$ or $1$ from considering the exact sequence $0\to\mathcal{O}_X(-P)\to\mathcal{O}_X\to k(P)\to 0$, twisting by $D$ or $K-D+P$ and then taking global sections;
  3. it suffices to show that $l(K-D+P)-l(K-D)=0$ for all $P$ in order to show $D$ is base-point free.

Let's look more closely at $K-D+P$ and $K-D$. These are divisors of degree $2g-2-6+1=3$ and $2g-2-6=2$, respectively, and so we have $l(K-D+P)\leq 3$ and $l(K-D)\leq 2$ (ref). But $l(K-D)\neq 2$, as otherwise that's a $g_2^1$, so we must have $l(K-D)\leq 1$ and therefore also $l(K-D+P)\leq 2$. But again, $l(K-D+P)\neq 2$, as that would be a $g_3^1$, and $X$ doesn't have one of those. So $l(K-D+P)\leq 1$ and $l(K-D)\leq 1$.

Therefore if we can find a $D$ so that $l(K-D)=1$, we will have that $l(K-D+P)=1$ as well, and this choice of $D$ is base-point free. That can be done without too much trouble: take an effective divisor $P_1+\cdots+P_8$ linearly equivalent to $K$, then take $D=P_1+\cdots+P_6$.