Enumeration of curves with two singular points

Abstract

In this paper we obtain an explicit formula for the number of curves in two dimensional complex projective space, of degree d, passing through d(d+3)/2-(k+1) generic points and having one node and one codimension k singularity, where k is at most 6. Our main tool is a classical fact from differential topology: the number of zeros of a generic smooth section of a vector bundle V over M, counted with a sign, is the Euler class of V evaluated on the fundamental class of M.