On the gonality sequence of smooth curves: normalizations of singular curves in a quadric surface

Abstract

Let $C$ be a smooth curve of genus $g$. For each positive integer $r$ the $r$-gonality $d_r(C)$ of $C$ is the minimal integer $t$ such that there is $L\in {Pic}^t(C)$ with $h^0(C,L) =r+1$. In this paper for all $g\ge 40805$ we construct several examples of smooth curves $C$ of genus $g$ with $d_3(C)/3< d_4(C)/4$, i.e. for which a slope inequality fails.