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Let $X$ be a K3 surface and $D$ an effective divisor such that $h^0(D)\geq2$ and $h^1(D)=0$.

Is this enough to show that $D$ is connected?

Any reference would also be appreciated (I looked in Saint-Donat' thesis but did not get the answer)

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    $\begingroup$ (Sorry; I originally misread the question, and left an incorrect comment.) Serre duality shows $h^1(D)=h^1(-D)$, and then the ideal sheaf sequence for $D$ shows that $h^0(O_D)=1$. $\endgroup$
    – user5117
    Commented Feb 14, 2014 at 11:17
  • $\begingroup$ Pardon me @ArtiePrendergast-Smith but I am a bit 'slow'. So does $h^0(O_D)=1$ imply that $D$ is connected? $\endgroup$
    – Heitor
    Commented Feb 14, 2014 at 11:48
  • $\begingroup$ Yes, if there were $n$ connected components then $h^0(O_D) = n$ (each component gets its own vector space of constant global sections). $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 14, 2014 at 13:18
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    $\begingroup$ Artie, why don't you write your comment as a proper answer (instead suggesting to relocate this question to M.SE), so that everyone can understand that your first comment is actually a complete answer :) ? $\endgroup$
    – aglearner
    Commented Feb 14, 2014 at 14:18
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    $\begingroup$ @aglearner: because I think the question should be on M.SE, and I am a stubborn old mule. $\endgroup$
    – user5117
    Commented Feb 14, 2014 at 14:33

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I think the answer is yes. Here is a sketch proof.

Keep in mind that by Serre duality that $h^2(D)=0$.

Suppose that the divisor is not connected. Then there are two possibilities:

1) There is an isolated exceptional subdivsor in $D$ (by this I mean a divisor $E$ that is a connected collection of $-2$ curves with $E^2<0$). It is clear that if you remove this divisor from $D$ then $h^0(D)$ will not change. At the same time $D^2$ will increase. From Riemann Roch it would follow that $\chi (D)$ increase as well. But since $h^0$ and $h^2$ don't change, this means that $h^1$ decreased. Hence it could not be zero in the beginning.

2) $D$ is a union of $\ge 2$ fibres of an elliptic fibration. In this case $\chi(D)=2$, at the same time if $D$ is not connected then $h^0(D)\ge 3$. This gives by Riemann-Roch that $h^1(D)\ge 1$.

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  • $\begingroup$ In fact after I wrote this answer I realised that the first comment of Artie solves the problem. $\endgroup$
    – aglearner
    Commented Feb 14, 2014 at 20:36

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