Embeddings of general curves in projective spaces: the range of the quadrics

Let $C \subset \mathbb {P}^r$ a general embedding of prescribed degree of a general smooth curve with prescribed genus. Here we prove that either $h^0(\mathbb {P}^r,\mathcal {I}_C(2)) =0$ or $h^1(\mathbb {P}^r,\mathcal {I}_C(2)) =0$ (a problem called the Maximal Rank Conjecture in the range of quadrics)

Ranks on the boundaries of secant varieties

In many cases (e.g. for many Segre or Segre embeddings of multiprojective spaces) we prove that a hypersurface of the $b$-secant variety of $X\subset \mathbb {P}^r$ has $X$-rank $>b$. We prove it proving that the $X$-rank of a general point of the join of $b-2$ copies of $X$ and the tangential variety of $X$ is $>b$

On the typical rank of real bivariate polynomials

Here we study the typical rank for real bivariate homogeneous polynomials of degree $d\ge 6$ (the case $d\le 5$ being settled by P. Comon and G. Ottaviani). We prove that $d-1$ is a typical rank and that if $d$ is odd, then $(d+3)/2$ is a typical rank

On the irreducibility of the Severi variety of nodal curves in a smooth surface

Let $X$ be a smooth projective surface and $L\in \mathrm{Pic}(X)$. We prove that if $L$ is $(2k-1)$-spanned, then the set $\tilde{V}_k(L)$ of all nodal and irreducible $D\in |L|$ with exactly $k$ nodes is irreducible. The set $\tilde{V}_k(L)$ is an open subset of a Severi variety of $|L|$, the full Severi variety parametrizing all integral $D\in |L|$ with geometric genus $g(L)-k$

Dependent subsets of embedded projective varieties

Let $X\subset \mathbb {P}^r$ be an integral and non-degenerate variety. Set $n:= \dim (X)$. Let $\rho (X)''$ be the maximal integer such that every zero-dimensional scheme $Z\subset X$ smoothable in $X$ is linearly independent. We prove that $X$ is linearly normal if $\rho (X)''\ge \lceil (r+2)/2\rceil$ and that $\rho (X)'' < 2\lceil (r+1)/(n+1)\rceil$, unless either $n=r$ or $X$ is a rational normal curve

On the stratification by XX-ranks of a linearly normal elliptic curve X⊂PnX\subset \mathbb {P}^n

Let $X\subset \mathbb {P}^n$ be a linearly normal elliptic curve. For any $P\in \mathbb {P}^n$ the $X$-rank of $P$ is the minimal cardinality of a set $S\subset X$ such that $P\in \langle S\rangle$. In this paper we give an almost complete description of the stratification of $\mathbb {P}^n$ given by the $X$-rank and the open $X$-rank.Comment: Added a result on the open ran

On the minimal free resolution of non-special curves in P^3

Here we prove that the minimal free resolution of a general space curve of large degree (e.g. a general space curve of degree d and genus g with d g+3, except for finitely many pairs (d,g)) is the expected one. A similar result holds even for general curves with special hyperplane section and, roughly, d g/2. The proof uses the so-called methode d'Horace.Comment: This paper has been withdrawn due to a crucial error (a key lemma is obviously false). In the meantime I was not able to overcome this error using another (but related) pat

Nodal curves and components of the Hilbert scheme of curves in Pr\mathbb {P}^r with the expected number of moduli

We study the existence of components with the expected number of moduli of the Hilbert scheme of integral nodal curves $C \subset \mathbb {P}^r$ with prescribed degree, arithmetic genus and number of singular points

Singular curves over a finite field and with many points

Recently Fukasawa, Homma and Kim introduced and studied certain projective singular curves over $\mathbb {F}_q$ with many extremal properties. Here we extend their definition to more general non-rational curves.Comment: corrected big error

The bb-secant variety of a smooth curve has a codimension 11 locally closed subset whose points have rank at least b+1b+1

Take a smooth, connected and non-degenerate projective curve $X\subset \mathbb {P}^r$, $r\ge 2b+2\ge 6$, defined over an algebraically closed field with characteristic $0$ and let $\sigma _b(X)$ be the $b$-secant variety of $X$. We prove that the $X$-rank of $q$ is at least $b+1$ for a non-empty codimension $1$ locally closed subset of $\sigma _b(X)$