Enumeration of geometric Weierstrass points of metric graphs

Abstract

A classical result states that on a smooth algebraic curve of genus $g$ the number of Weierstrass points, counted with multiplicity, is $g^3-g$. In this paper, we introduce the notion of geometric Weierstrass points of metric graphs and show that a generic metric graph of genus $g$ has $g^3-g$ geometric Weierstrass points counted with multiplicity. Our methods also provide a new proof of the existence of Weierstrass points on metric graphs of genus bigger than or equal to $2$.