Brill-Noether Theory of Maximally Symmetric Graphs

Abstract

We analyze the Brill-Noether theory of trivalent graphs and multigraphs having largest possible automorphism group in a fixed genus. For trivalent multigraphs with loops of genus at least 3, we show that there exists a graph with maximal automorphism group which is Brill-Noether special. We prove similar results for multigraphs without loops of genus at least 6, as well as simple graphs of genus at least 7. This analysis yields counterexamples, in any sufficiently large genus, to a conjecture of Caporaso.

15 pages, 9 figures, v2: minor corrections and improved exposition. To appear in European Journal of Combinatorics