Singular Points of Plane Curves C

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Singular Points of Plane Curves C Cambridge University Press 0521839041 - Singular Points of Plane Curves C. T. C. Wall Index More information Index ai (negative self-intersection), 192 rP (C) (number of branches at P ), Ak singularity, 26 157 th βi (Puiseux exponent), 40 Ti (i blown up surface), 43 C(i) (ith strict transform of C), 43 vi (valence of vertex Vi), 230 δ(B) (double point number), 79 V(Γ) (vertex set of graph), 57 Z δi (defect), 195 [ ] (fundamental cycle), 193 δi,j (Kronecker delta), 53 ∆K (t) (Alexander polynomial), 122 acnode, 169 Dk singularity, 87 Alexander polynomial, 122 ei = hcf(β0,... ,βi), 40 algebraic link, 224 E(Γ) (edge set of graph), 57 analytic, 2 E (semigroup of effective cycles), 196 arrowhead vertex, 188 th k (k curvette), 53 atoroidal (3-manifold), 222 th Ei (i exceptional curve), 43 augmented dual tree, 58 [Ei] (exceptional cycle), 188 bitangent, 162 [Ei] (class of total transform), 189 o blowing up, 40 E (punctured Ei), 230 i branch, 26 Ek singularity, 87 FC (decomposed Milnor fibre), 269 cable knot, 117 ΓE (C) (Eggers tree), 76 + carousel, 112 ΓE (C), 240 C centre (of blow up), 40 ΓR( ) (resolution tree), 58 class (of plane curve), 156 + C ΓR( ), 58 closed complement (of link), 135 ++ ΓR (C), 238 cluster, 328 ≤ (ordering of vanishing cycles), 196 coefficient, 2 th mi(B) (multiplicity of i blow up), complete (local ring), 31 50 cone point, 244 mi (multiplicity of curvette), 198 constructible function, 163 th Mi = Mi(C)(i order of f), 198 convergent (in mt-adic sense), 3 ME (h.c.f. (Mi,Mj )), 275 convergent power series, 2 hMi (h.c.f. Mr), 277 core (of dual graph), 238 m (maximal ideal in O0), 318 core (of dual tree of branch), 61 mP (C) (multiplicity at P ), 157 core (of E–N diagram), 250 µP (C) (Milnor number at P ), 157 crunode, 169 νi (coeff. in fundamental cycle), 193 curvette, 53 νi =1+νi, 199 cycle, 189 O0 (ring of germs at O), 317 th Oi (centre of i blow up), 43 dead branch, 240 n Pz(n)(=(t − 1)), 124 defect (of partial blow up), 195 368 © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521839041 - Singular Points of Plane Curves C. T. C. Wall Index More information Index 369 degree (of polynomial), 3 mapping torus, 132 determinacy, 341 maximal contact, 90 differentials, 350 meridian, 118 discriminant, 8 Milnor fibration, Milnor fibre, double point number (of branch), 138 79 Milnor number, 139 double point number (of curve), minimal (resolution), 49 151 monic (polynomial), 9 doubly augmented dual graph, 238 monodromy, 132 dual curve, 159 morsification, 146 dual graph (of resolution), 58 multiplicity, 6, 30 dual semigroup, 82 Newton polygon, 16 effective (cycle), 196 non-degenerate (singularity), 141 efficient resolution, 238 normal crossings, 47 Eggers tree, 76 normalisation, 49 equisingular (of branch), 86 normalisation (of ring), 337 equisingular (of curves), 87 NPND, 154 exceptional curve, 41 exceptional cycle, 189 open book decomposition, 139 exceptional fibre, 244 order (of power series), 2 exponent, 2 exponent of contact, 68 partition of unity, 106 plumbing, 230 fibration, fibre, 131 polar (polar curve), 13 formal power series, 2 polar discriminant, 259 fundamental cycle, 193 polar quotient, 241 polynomial, 2 geodesic (in graph), 58 primary ideal, 320 germ, 4 pro-branch, 27, 68 good (parametrisation), 4 projective space, 5 good resolution, 47 proximate, 50 graph, 57 proximity matrix, 52 hairy Eggers tree, 240 Puiseux characteristic, 40 Herbrand function, 74 Puiseux exponents, 70 Hessian, 14 Puiseux series, 26 holomorphic, 2 hyperflex, 175 ramification group, 94 reduced (curve), 27 incidence variety, 166 reduced (equation), 5 incompressible surface, 221 regular of order m,20 infinitely near point, 49 resolution, 43 integral closure (of ideal), 337 resultant, 8 integral closure (of ring), 336 root (of polynomial), 2 integral curve (of vector field), rupture point, 57 104 irreducible (3-manifold), 221 satellite point, 51 isomorphism of Eggers trees, 77 semi-algebraic set, 137 isotopy, 103 semi-analytic, 137 semigroup of branch, 79 Jacobian matrix, 10 simple point, 31 jet, 318 simple singularities, 87 smooth (curve), 4 latitude, 118 smooth (map), 10 linking number, 110 splice (of links), 248 local ring, 31 strict transform, 42 local ring of curve, 79 strict transform (cycle), 189 © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org Cambridge University Press 0521839041 - Singular Points of Plane Curves C. T. C. Wall Index More information 370 Index tangent lines, 30 tree, 58 Tjurina number, 178 tubular neighbourhood, topological zeta function, 205 117 total transform, 42 total transform (cycle), 189 valence, 57 transverse polar, 14 vector field, 104 © Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org.
Recommended publications
  • Algebraic Geometry Has Several Aspects to It
    Lectures on Geometry of Plane Curves An Introduction to Algegraic Geometry ANANT R. SHASTRI Department of Mathematics Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai Spring 1999 Contents 1 Introductory Remarks 3 2 Affine Spaces and Projective Spaces 6 3 Homogenization and De-homogenization 8 4 Defining Equation of a Curve 10 5 Relation Between Affine and Projective Curves 14 6 Resultant 17 7 Linear Transformations 21 8 Simple and Singular Points 24 9 Bezout’s Theorem 28 10 Basic Inequalities 32 11 Rational Curve 35 12 Co-ordinate Ring and the Quotient Field 37 13 Zariski Topology 39 14 Regular and Rational Maps 43 15 Closed Subspaces of Projective Spaces 48 16 Quasi Projective Varieties 50 17 Regular Functions on Quasi Projective Varieties 51 1 18 Rational Functions 55 19 Product of Quasi Projective Varieties 58 20 A Reduction Process 62 21 Study of Cubics 65 22 Inflection Points 69 23 Linear Systems 75 24 The Dual Curve 80 25 Power Series 85 26 Analytic Branches 90 27 Quadratic Transforms: 92 28 Intersection Multiplicity 94 2 Chapter 1 Introductory Remarks Lecture No. 1 31st Dec. 98 The present day algebraic geometry has several aspects to it. Let us illustrate two of the main aspects by some examples: (i) Solve geometric problems using algebraic techniques: Here is an example. To find the possible number of points of intersection of a circle and a straight line, we take the general equation of a circle and substitute for X (or Y ) using the general equation of a straight line and get a quadratic equation in one variable.
    [Show full text]
  • Geometry of Algebraic Curves
    Geometry of Algebraic Curves Fall 2011 Course taught by Joe Harris Notes by Atanas Atanasov One Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 E-mail address: [email protected] Contents Lecture 1. September 2, 2011 6 Lecture 2. September 7, 2011 10 2.1. Riemann surfaces associated to a polynomial 10 2.2. The degree of KX and Riemann-Hurwitz 13 2.3. Maps into projective space 15 2.4. An amusing fact 16 Lecture 3. September 9, 2011 17 3.1. Embedding Riemann surfaces in projective space 17 3.2. Geometric Riemann-Roch 17 3.3. Adjunction 18 Lecture 4. September 12, 2011 21 4.1. A change of viewpoint 21 4.2. The Brill-Noether problem 21 Lecture 5. September 16, 2011 25 5.1. Remark on a homework problem 25 5.2. Abel's Theorem 25 5.3. Examples and applications 27 Lecture 6. September 21, 2011 30 6.1. The canonical divisor on a smooth plane curve 30 6.2. More general divisors on smooth plane curves 31 6.3. The canonical divisor on a nodal plane curve 32 6.4. More general divisors on nodal plane curves 33 Lecture 7. September 23, 2011 35 7.1. More on divisors 35 7.2. Riemann-Roch, finally 36 7.3. Fun applications 37 7.4. Sheaf cohomology 37 Lecture 8. September 28, 2011 40 8.1. Examples of low genus 40 8.2. Hyperelliptic curves 40 8.3. Low genus examples 42 Lecture 9. September 30, 2011 44 9.1. Automorphisms of genus 0 an 1 curves 44 9.2.
    [Show full text]
  • Fundamental Theorems in Mathematics
    SOME FUNDAMENTAL THEOREMS IN MATHEMATICS OLIVER KNILL Abstract. An expository hitchhikers guide to some theorems in mathematics. Criteria for the current list of 243 theorems are whether the result can be formulated elegantly, whether it is beautiful or useful and whether it could serve as a guide [6] without leading to panic. The order is not a ranking but ordered along a time-line when things were writ- ten down. Since [556] stated “a mathematical theorem only becomes beautiful if presented as a crown jewel within a context" we try sometimes to give some context. Of course, any such list of theorems is a matter of personal preferences, taste and limitations. The num- ber of theorems is arbitrary, the initial obvious goal was 42 but that number got eventually surpassed as it is hard to stop, once started. As a compensation, there are 42 “tweetable" theorems with included proofs. More comments on the choice of the theorems is included in an epilogue. For literature on general mathematics, see [193, 189, 29, 235, 254, 619, 412, 138], for history [217, 625, 376, 73, 46, 208, 379, 365, 690, 113, 618, 79, 259, 341], for popular, beautiful or elegant things [12, 529, 201, 182, 17, 672, 673, 44, 204, 190, 245, 446, 616, 303, 201, 2, 127, 146, 128, 502, 261, 172]. For comprehensive overviews in large parts of math- ematics, [74, 165, 166, 51, 593] or predictions on developments [47]. For reflections about mathematics in general [145, 455, 45, 306, 439, 99, 561]. Encyclopedic source examples are [188, 705, 670, 102, 192, 152, 221, 191, 111, 635].
    [Show full text]
  • View This Volume's Front and Back Matter
    Functions of Several Complex Variables and Their Singularities Functions of Several Complex Variables and Their Singularities Wolfgang Ebeling Translated by Philip G. Spain Graduate Studies in Mathematics Volume 83 .•S%'3SL"?|| American Mathematical Society s^s^^v Providence, Rhode Island Editorial Board David Cox (Chair) Walter Craig N. V. Ivanov Steven G. Krantz Originally published in the German language by Friedr. Vieweg & Sohn Verlag, D-65189 Wiesbaden, Germany, as "Wolfgang Ebeling: Funktionentheorie, Differentialtopologie und Singularitaten. 1. Auflage (1st edition)". © Friedr. Vieweg & Sohn Verlag | GWV Fachverlage GmbH, Wiesbaden, 2001 Translated by Philip G. Spain 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 32-01; Secondary 32S10, 32S55, 58K40, 58K60. For additional information and updates on this book, visit www.ams.org/bookpages/gsm-83 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ebeling, Wolfgang. [Funktionentheorie, differentialtopologie und singularitaten. English] Functions of several complex variables and their singularities / Wolfgang Ebeling ; translated by Philip Spain. p. cm. — (Graduate studies in mathematics, ISSN 1065-7339 ; v. 83) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8218-3319-7 (alk. paper) 1. Functions of several complex variables. 2. Singularities (Mathematics) I. Title. QA331.E27 2007 515/.94—dc22 2007060745 Copying and reprinting. Individual readers of this publication, and nonprofit libraries acting for them, are permitted to make fair use of the material, such as to copy a chapter for use in teaching or research. Permission is granted to quote brief passages from this publication in reviews, provided the customary acknowledgment of the source is given. Republication, systematic copying, or multiple reproduction of any material in this publication is permitted only under license from the American Mathematical Society.
    [Show full text]
  • (2019) Elliptic Mirror of the Quantum Hall Effect
    PHYSICAL REVIEW B 99, 195152 (2019) Elliptic mirror of the quantum Hall effect C. A. Lütken Physics Deparment, University of Oslo, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway (Received 20 September 2018; revised manuscript received 22 March 2019; published 28 May 2019) Toroidal sigma models of magneto-transport are analyzed, in which integer and fractional quantum Hall effects automatically are unified by a holomorphic modular symmetry, whose group structure is determined by the spin structure of the toroidal target space (an elliptic curve). Hall quantization is protected by the V σ ⊕ = μ ∈ topology of stable holomorphic vector bundles on this space, and plateau values H Q of the Hall conductivity are rational because such bundles are classified by their slope μ(V) = deg(V)/rk(V), where deg(V) is the degree and rk(V) is the rank of V. By exploiting a quantum equivalence called mirror symmetry,these models are mapped to tractable mirror models (also elliptic), in which topological protection is provided by more familiar winding numbers. Phase diagrams and scaling properties of elliptic models are compared to some of the experimental and numerical data accumulated over the past three decades. The geometry of scaling flows extracted from quantum Hall experiments is in good agreement with modular predictions, including the location of many quantum critical points. One conspicuous model has a critical delocalization 2 4 exponent νtor = 18 ln 2/(π G ) = 2.6051 ... (G is Gauss’ constant) that is in excellent agreement with the value νnum = 2.607 ± .004 calculated in the numerical Chalker-Coddington model, suggesting that these models are in the same universality class.
    [Show full text]
  • Algebraic Plane Curves Deposited by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research
    PLUCKER'3 : NUMBERS: ALGEBRAIC PLANE CURVES DEPOSITED BY THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH Iw • \TS • \t£S ACC. NO UNACC.'»"1928 PLITCOR'S FOOTERS IE THE THEORY 0? ALGEBRAIC PLAITS CURVES A Thesis presented in partial fulfilment for the degree of -Master of Arts, Department of Mathematics. April 28, 1928. by ALICiD WI1LARD TURIIPP. Acknowledgment Any commendation which this thesis may merit, is in large measure due to Dr. C..T. Sullivan, Peter Re&path Professor of Pure Mathematics; and I take this opportunity to express my indebtedness to him. April 25, 1928. I IT D A :: IITTPODIICTIOI? SECTIOH I. • pp.l-S4 Algebraic Curve defined. Intersection of two curves. Singular points on curves. Conditions for multiple points. Conditions determining an n-ic. Maximum number of double points. Examples. SECTION II ...... pp.25-39 Class of curve. Tangerfcial equations. Polar reciprocation. Singularities on a curve and its reciprocal. Superlinear branches, with application to intersections of two curves at singular points. Examples. 3SCTI0IT III pp.40-52 Polar Curves. Intersections of Curve and Pirst Polar. Hessian.Intersections of Hessian and Curve. Examples. 3ECTI0TT IV . .................. pp.52-69 Pliicker's numbers and Equations for simple singularities. Deficiency. Unicursal Curves. Classification of cubies and quartics. Extension of Plucker's relations to k-ple points with distinct tangents, and to ordinary superlinear branch points. Short discussion of Higher Singularities. Examples. I PhTJCPEirS PTE.3EE3 IE PEE EHSOHY CF ALGEBRAIC Ph-TITE CUPYE3. IPPEODUCPIOH Pith the advent of the nineteenth century,a new era dawned in the progress of analytic geometry. The appearance of poiiceletTs, "Traite des proprietes project ives des figures", in 1822, really initiated modern geometry.
    [Show full text]
  • Quadratic Transformations / Probability and Point Set Theory
    QUADRATIC TRANSFORMATIONS QUADRATIC TRANSFORMATIONS I CREMONA TRANSFORMATIONS I II QUADRATIC TRANSFORMATIONS 6 III QUADRAIC INVERSION 7 IV DEGENERATE CASES 9 V SUCCESSIVE QUADRATIC TRANSFORMATIONS 12 VI GEOMETRIC CONSTRUCTIONS OF QUADRATIC TRANSFORMATIONS 15 VII APPLICATIONS 19 VIII SINGULARITIES OF A PLANE CURVE 20 IX HIGHER SINGULARITIES OF PLANE CURVES 24 « X ANALYSIS OF HIGHER SINGULARITIES BY QUADRATIC TRANSFORMATIONS 24 XI EXAMPLES 28 XII NOETHER'S THEOREM 31 BIBLIOGRAPHY QUADRATIC TRANSPORTATIONS I CR3MOHA TRAIISFBRMATIŒJS T3To consider the general problem of finding birational transformations between two spaces, with homogeneous coordinates (x,y,...) and (x',y* That is we want to find a transformation so that the relation 1) x':y*:... 3 X:Y*... where X,Y,... are rational,integral,h<$geneous functions, of the degree n, in (x,y,.,,)f implies the relation 2) x:y*... - X'sY':... where X’,Y*,... are rational, integral, homogeneous functions , of the degree n*, in (x*,y* That is,to each point (x,y,..«) there is to correspond one and only one point (x*,y*,...) and conversely. As an introductory example, we consider the transformation of the coordinates on a line. We are to have 3j xsy s X* sY* and 4) x*iy8 - X:Y with X,Y,X*,Y* all rational. The equation x'*y* s XsY must give a single variable value for the ratio x/y. But if X and Y are of the order n, there are n values of x/y for each value of xî/y*. Since but one of these is to be variable, we must have n - 1 values independent of x* and y*, this can only be the case if X and Y have a common factor of order n-1 .
    [Show full text]
  • Entry Curves
    ENTRY CURVES [ENTRY CURVES] Authors: Oliver Knill, Andrew Chi, 2003 Literature: www.mathworld.com, www.2dcurves.com astroid An [astroid] is the curve t (cos3(t); a sin3(t)) with a > 0. An asteroid is a 4-cusped hypocycloid. It is sometimes also called a tetracuspid,7! cubocycloid, or paracycle. Archimedes spiral An [Archimedes spiral] is a curve described as the polar graph r(t) = at where a > 0 is a constant. In words: the distance r(t) to the origin grows linearly with the angle. bowditch curve The [bowditch curve] is a special Lissajous curve r(t) = (asin(nt + c); bsin(t)). brachistochone A [brachistochone] is a curve along which a particle will slide in the shortest time from one point to an other. It is a cycloid. Cassini ovals [Cassini ovals] are curves described by ((x + a) + y2)((x a)2 + y2) = k4, where k2 < a2 are constants. They are named after the Italian astronomer Goivanni Domenico− Cassini (1625-1712). Geometrically Cassini ovals are the set of points whose product to two fixed points P = ( a; 0); Q = (0; 0) in the plane is the constant k 2. For k2 = a2, the curve is called a Lemniscate. − cardioid The [cardioid] is a plane curve belonging to the class of epicycloids. The fact that it has the shape of a heart gave it the name. The cardioid is the locus of a fixed point P on a circle roling on a fixed circle. In polar coordinates, the curve given by r(φ) = a(1 + cos(φ)). catenary The [catenary] is the plane curve which is the graph y = c cosh(x=c).
    [Show full text]
  • Algebraic Methods for Computer Aided Geometric Design
    Brigham Young University BYU ScholarsArchive Faculty Publications 2002-08-13 Algebraic Methods for Computer Aided Geometric Design Thomas W. Sederberg [email protected] Jianmin Zheng Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub Part of the Computer Sciences Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Sederberg, Thomas W. and Zheng, Jianmin, "Algebraic Methods for Computer Aided Geometric Design" (2002). Faculty Publications. 5. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/5 This Book Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. 1 Algebraic Methods for Computer Aided Geometric Design Thomas W. Sederbergaand Jianmin Zhengb aDepartment of Computer Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 USA bDepartment of Mathematics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China Silhouettes (polar curves), blend curves, inversion, implicitization, offset curves, singu- larities, 1. Introduction CAGD draws from several branches of mathematics and computer science, such as approximation theory, differential geometry, and numerical analysis. This chapter reviews some of the tools of algebra and algebraic geometry that have been brought to bear on problems in CAGD. Most of the free-form curves and surfaces used in CAGD are given by parametric equations. Planar curves in CAGD are typically defined as a(t) b(t) x = ; y = (1) c(t) c(t) where a(t), b(t), and c(t) are polynomials in the Bernstein basis for rational B´eziercurves or in the B-spline basis for NURBS. Algebraic methods most commonly use polynomials n in the power basis: a(t) = a0 + a1t + ··· + ant , etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Ordinary Planes, Coplanar Quadruples, and Space Quartics LSE Research Online URL for This Paper: Version: Accepted Version
    Ordinary planes, coplanar quadruples, and space quartics LSE Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/100526/ Version: Accepted Version Article: Lin, A and Swanepoel, Konrad ORCID: 0000-0002-1668-887X (2019) Ordinary planes, coplanar quadruples, and space quartics. Journal of the London Mathematical Society, 100 (3). pp. 937-956. ISSN 0024-6107 https://doi.org/10.1112/jlms.12251 Reuse Items deposited in LSE Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the LSE Research Online record for the item. [email protected] https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/ Ordinary planes, coplanar quadruples, and space quartics Aaron Lin∗ Konrad Swanepoel∗ Abstract An ordinary plane of a finite set of points in real 3-space with no three collinear is a plane intersecting the set in exactly three points. We prove a structure theorem for sets of points spanning few ordinary planes. Our proof relies on Green and Tao’s work on ordinary lines in the plane, combined with classical results on space quartic curves and non-generic projections of curves. This gives an alternative approach to Ball’s recent results on ordinary planes, as well as extending them. We also give bounds on the number of coplanar quadruples determined by a finite set of points on a rational space quartic curve in complex 3-space, answering a question of Raz, Sharir and De Zeeuw [Israel J.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Normal Class of Curves and Surfaces Alfrederic Josse, Françoise Pene
    On the normal class of curves and surfaces Alfrederic Josse, Françoise Pene To cite this version: Alfrederic Josse, Françoise Pene. On the normal class of curves and surfaces. 2014. hal-00953669v1 HAL Id: hal-00953669 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00953669v1 Preprint submitted on 28 Feb 2014 (v1), last revised 2 Apr 2016 (v4) HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. ON THE NORMAL CLASS OF CURVES AND SURFACES ALFREDERIC JOSSE AND FRANÇOISE PÈNE Abstract. We are interested in the normal class of an algebraic surface S of the complex projective space P3, that is the number of normal lines to S passing through a generic point of P3. Thanks to the notion of normal polar, we state a formula for the normal class valid for a general surface S. We give a generic result and we illustrate our formula with examples. We complete our work with a generalization of Salmon’s formula for the normal class of a Plücker curve to any planar curve with any kind of singularity. This last formula gives directly the normal class of any cylinder and of any surface of revolution of P3.
    [Show full text]
  • On Sets Defining Few Ordinary Hyperplanes
    DISCRETE ANALYSIS, 2020:4, 34 pp. www.discreteanalysisjournal.com On sets defining few ordinary hyperplanes Aaron Lin Konrad Swanepoel Received 26 April 2019; Revised 17 January 2020; Published 24 April 2020 Abstract: Let P be a set of n points in real projective d-space, not all contained in a hyperplane, such that any d points span a hyperplane. An ordinary hyperplane of P is a hyperplane containing exactly d points of P. We show that if d > 4, the number of ordinary n−1 b(d−1)=2c hyperplanes of P is at least d−1 − Od(n ) if n is sufficiently large depending on d. This bound is tight, and given d, we can calculate the exact minimum number for sufficiently large n. This is a consequence of a structure theorem for sets with few ordinary hyperplanes: 8 For any d > 4 and K > 0, if n > CdK for some constant Cd > 0 depending on d, and P n−1 spans at most K d−1 ordinary hyperplanes, then all but at most Od(K) points of P lie on a hyperplane, an elliptic normal curve, or a rational acnodal curve. We also find the maximum number of (d + 1)-point hyperplanes, solving a d-dimensional analogue of the orchard problem. Our proofs rely on Green and Tao’s results on ordinary lines, our earlier work on the 3-dimensional case, as well as results from classical algebraic geometry. 1 Introduction An ordinary line of a set of points in the plane is a line passing through exactly two points of the set.
    [Show full text]