 Birational linear system criterion for bigness

A Cartier divisor on an integral projective variety is big if and only if some multiple has a complete linear system of a divisor giving a rational map birational onto its image. Kodaira's lemma embeds a very ample subsystem in a suitable multiple. Conversely, $n$ algebraically independent elements among the section ratios give $\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{q+n}{n}\right)$ independent degree-$q$ section monomials, where $n=\dim X$. Smoothness is not necessary.