Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2019 / ii / Paper 4 / 24F / a / iii

For any smooth projective curve of genus $g$, a canonical divisor has degree $2g-2$. If this plane curve had genus two, part (ii) would implyso $d^2-3d-2=0$. The quadratic discriminant is $17$, which is not a perfect square, so the equation has no integral solution. Thus a smooth projective plane curve cannot have genus two, as recorded by no smooth plane curve has genus two.