On the Semigroup of Graph Gonality Sequences

Abstract

The $r$th gonality of a graph is the smallest degree of a divisor on the graph with rank $r$. The gonality sequence of a graph is a tropical analogue of the gonality sequence of an algebraic curve. We show that the set of truncated gonality sequences of graphs forms a semigroup under addition. Using this, we study which triples $(x,y,z)$ can be the first 3 terms of a graph gonality sequence. We show that nearly every such triple with $z \geq \frac{3}{2}x+2$ is the first three terms of a graph gonality sequence, and also exhibit triples where the ratio $\frac{z}{x}$ is an arbitrary rational number between 1 and 3. In the final section, we study algebraic curves whose $r$th and $(r+1)$st gonality differ by 1, and posit several questions about graphs with this property.