Distribution of Weierstrass Points on Rational Cuspidal Curves

Abstract

We study the set W(𝓛) of Weierstrass points of all positive tensor powers of an invertible sheaf 𝓛 on an irreducible rational curve X with g ≧ 2 ordinary cusps. Using an idea from B. Olsen's study of the analogous question on smooth curves, and an explicit formula for the "theta function" of a cuspidal rational curve, we show that W(𝓛) is never dense on X (in contrast to the case of smooth curves of genus g ≧ 2).