Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-algebraic-curves-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/1/a/solution

Write , where is a squarefree polynomial and a homogeneous polynomial of degree . A projective point is a singular point precisely when
If is a nonsingular point of an algebraic curve, its projective tangent line is
The coefficients are not all zero, and the Euler theorem for homogeneous functions gives , so the line passes through . Changing the representative of the projective point only rescales the equation.
The strong form of Bézout's theorem says that two projective plane curves of degrees , with no common irreducible component, have finitely many intersections and
Each intersection multiplicity is a positive integer. At ,
This is the criterion for a transverse intersection of plane curves. In particular, an intersection at a singular point of either curve contributes at least two.

New to topics? Read the docs here!