Theta Divisor - Classical Theory

Classical Theory

Classical results of Bernhard Riemann describe Θ in another way, in the case that A is the Jacobian variety J of an algebraic curve (compact Riemann surface) C. There is, for a choice of base point P on C, a standard mapping of C to J, by means of the interpretation of J as the linear equivalence classes of divisors on C of degree 0. That is, Q on C maps to the class of Q − P. Then since J is an algebraic group, C may be added to itself k times on J, giving rise to subvarieties W_k.

If g is the genus of C, Riemann proved that Θ is a translate on J of W_{g − 1}. He also described which points on W_{g − 1} are non-singular: they correspond to the effective divisors D of degree g − 1 with no associated meromorphic functions other than constants. In more classical language, these D do not move in a linear system of divisors on C, in the sense that they do not dominate the polar divisor of a non constant function.

Riemann further proved the Riemann singularity theorem, identifying the multiplicity of a point p = class(D) on W_{g − 1} as the number of independent meromorphic functions with pole divisor dominated by D, or equivalently as h0(O(D)), the number of independent global sections of the holomorphic line bundle associated to D as Cartier divisor on C.