Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-algebraic-curves-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/2/b/solution

For , the first partial derivatives are
Their simultaneous vanishing would force , and , hence , which is not a projective point. This also verifies that the given plane cubic is nonsingular.
The Hessian matrix and its determinant are
Thus the Hessian curve is the union of , and . On , the equation of reduces to , giving
On one must have , so put and obtain . On similarly put , , obtaining . Choose with and let . The remaining points are
All nine listed projective points are distinct. They exhaust the intersection with the Hessian curve, so the Hessian criterion for a flex proves that these, and only these, are the flexes in this example. There are none at infinity: and would force on .

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