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What's the definition of canonical divisor(or whatever related concept) on singular curve with nodal point. More generally, what the definition of canonical divisor on a singular variety X, which is the union of 2 smooth varieties intersecting with each other

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  • $\begingroup$ have you consulted Serre's Groupes Algebriques et corps de classes? briefly, since the curve is a limit of a smooth curve as a homology cycle shrinks to a point, a canonical divisor is the divisor of a form which is such a limit. Consider what is the limit of a holomorphic form with a period around the vanishing cycle. Hint: it becomes meromorphic on the normalization, but with period around the marked pointover the node. $\endgroup$
    – roy smith
    Commented Nov 26, 2019 at 3:03
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    $\begingroup$ What's the/your definition of a divisor on such a variety? (cf. mathoverflow.net/a/46663/10076) $\endgroup$
    – Sándor Kovács
    Commented Nov 26, 2019 at 19:38
  • $\begingroup$ Nodes are Gorenstein singularities, in particular the dualizing sheaf is a line bundle. If $X$ is a nodal curve with smooth components, then its canonical bundle restricted on each component $X_i$ is $\omega_{X_i}(P_1 + \dots + P_r)$, where $P_1, \dots, P_r$ are intersection points with other components. As an exercise one shows that if $X$ is a nodal degree $3$ curve in $P^2$, then its canonical bundle is trivial. See discussion here for the dualizing sheaf of nodal curves and stability: people.math.umass.edu/~tevelev/797_2017/arie_seba.pdf $\endgroup$
    – Evgeny Shinder
    Commented Nov 26, 2019 at 21:49
  • $\begingroup$ A similar discussion applies in higher dimension for smooth varieties intersecting along smooth divisors. However, if components intersect in higher codimension, then it becomes much more complicated. For instance, union of two planes intersecting in a point is famously non Cohen-Macaulay, and hence non Gorenstein. $\endgroup$
    – Evgeny Shinder
    Commented Nov 26, 2019 at 21:52
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    $\begingroup$ Just for the record: It is not enough if smooth components intersect along a smooth divisor to have Gorenstein singularities. For instance, the union of three coordinate axis in $3$-dimensional space has smooth irreducible components intersecting along a subvariety which is a smooth divisor in each component, but it is not Gorenstein. $\endgroup$
    – Sándor Kovács
    Commented Nov 27, 2019 at 5:12

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