Space curves, X-ranks and cuspidal projections

AbstractLet $$X\subset \mathbb {P}^3$$ X ⊂ P 3 be an integral and non-degenerate curve. We say that $$q\in \mathbb {P}^3\setminus X$$ q ∈ P 3 \ X has X-rank 3 if there is no line $$L\subset \mathbb {P}^3$$ L ⊂ P 3 such that $$q\in L$$ q ∈ L and $$\#(L\cap X)\ge 2$$ # ( L ∩ X ) ≥ 2 . We prove that for all hyperelliptic curves of genus $$g\ge 5$$ g ≥ 5 there is a degree $$g+3$$ g + 3 embedding $$X\subset \mathbb {P}^3$$ X ⊂ P 3 with exactly $$2g+2$$ 2 g + 2 points with X-rank 3 and another embedding without points with X-rank 3 but with exactly $$2g+2$$ 2 g + 2 points $$q\in \mathbb {P}^3$$ q ∈ P 3 such that there is a unique pair of points of X spanning a line containing q. We also prove the non-existence of points of X-rank 3 for general curves of bidegree (a, b) in a smooth quadric (except in known exceptional cases) and we give lower bounds for the number of pairs of points of X spanning a line containing a fixed $$q\in \mathbb {P}^3\setminus X$$ q ∈ P 3 \ X . For all integers $$g\ge 5$$ g ≥ 5 , $$x\ge 0$$ x ≥ 0 we prove the existence of a nodal hyperelliptic curve X with geometric genus g, exactly x nodes, $$\deg (X) = x+g+3$$ deg ( X ) = x + g + 3 and having at least $$x+2g+2$$ x + 2 g + 2 points of X-rank 3