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For a smooth projective curve $C$ of geometric genus one, the Riemann-Roch theorem saysThe canonical divisor has degree zero and is principal because a nonzero regular differential has no zeros. Hence $K_C\sim 0$, so equivalentlyIn particular, $\ell (D)=\mathrm{deg}D$ when $\mathrm{deg}D>0$.

The group ${\mathrm{Pic}}^0(E)$ is the group of degree-zero divisor classes on $E$, with addition induced by addition of divisors. ConsiderFor surjectivity, let $D$ have degree zero. Since $\mathrm{deg}(D+(O_E))=1$, Riemann--Roch gives $\ell (D+(O_E))=1$. A nonzero element of this space makes $D+(O_E)$ linearly equivalent to an effective divisor of degree one, necessarily $(P)$ for some point $P$. Thus $[D]=[(P)-(O_E)]$.

For injectivity, suppose $(P)-(O_E)$ is a principal divisor. If $P\ne O_E$, its defining function would be nonconstant and would have at most one simple pole, whereas Riemann--Roch gives $\ell ((O_E))=1$, so every such function is constant. Therefore $P=O_E$, and $\iota$ is a bijection.

For a divisor on an algebraic curve $D$ on a smooth projective curve $X$ of genus $g$, the Riemann-Roch theorem stateswhere $K_X$ is a canonical divisor. Taking $D=0$ gives $1-\ell (K_X)=1-g$, so $\ell (K_X)=g$. Taking $D=K_X$ then gives

To obtain a uniform projective embedding, choose a divisor $D$ of degree $2g+1$. Since every divisor appearing below has degree greater than $2g-2$, Riemann--Roch givesThe first two equalities show that the complete linear system of a divisor $|D|$ has no base point. The strict drops in the last two comparisons show respectively that its sections separate distinct points $P,Q$ and tangent directions at $P$. Thus $D$ is a very ample divisor, in accordance with the general fact that a high-degree divisor is very ample on a smooth projective curve, and its sections define a closed embeddingThe ambient dimension therefore depends only on $g$.

The Riemann-Hurwitz formula for a nonconstant morphism $h:C_1\to C_2$ of degree $n$ isChoose a smooth plane quartic $C$, so $g(C)=3$, and form the product of projective varieties $S=C\times C$. This is a smooth projective variety of dimension two. If $B\subset S$ is an irreducible curve, pass to its normalization $\tilde{B}$. At least one coordinate projection $\tilde{B}\to C$ is nonconstant, since otherwise $B$ would be a point. For that projection, Riemann--Hurwitz givesso the geometric genus of $B$ is at least three. Hence $S$ is the required surface; this is the product surface without low-genus curves construction.

Finally let $X\subset {\mathbb{P}}^2$ be a smooth plane curve of degree $d$ and let $p\notin X$. After a projective change of coordinates, take $p=[0:0:1]$. Projection away from $p$ isIts two homogeneous coordinate functions cannot vanish simultaneously on $X$, because their common zero in ${\mathbb{P}}^2$ is $p$. The criterion for a morphism of algebraic varieties therefore shows that the restrictionis a morphism. A fibre is the intersection with a line through $p$, and a general such line meets $X$ in $d$ points counted with multiplicity. Thus the projection of a plane curve from an exterior point has degree $d$.

By the genus of a smooth plane curve, $g(X)=(d-1)(d-2)/2$. Applying Riemann--Hurwitz to $\pi$ and its ramification divisor $R_{\pi }$ givesEvery ramification point contributes at least one to this degree, so