The optimal $L^4$-Strichartz estimate for the Schrödinger equation on the two-dimensional rational torus $\mathbb {T}^2$ is proved, which improves an estimate of Bourgain. A new method based on incidence geometry is used. The approach yields a stronger $L^4$ bound on a logarithmic time scale, which implies global existence of solutions to the cubic (mass-critical) nonlinear Schrödinger equation in $H^s(\mathbb {T}^2)$ for any $s>0$ and data that are small in the critical norm.

We prove that n plane algebraic curves determine O(n(k+2)/(k+1)) points of kth order tangency. This generalizes an earlier result of Ellenberg, Solymosi and Zahl on the number of (first order) tangencies determined by n plane algebraic curves.

A long-standing conjecture of Richter and Thomassen states that the total number of intersection points between any n simple closed Jordan curves in the plane, so that any pair of them intersect and no three curves pass through the same point, is at least (1−o(1))n 2.

We confirm the above conjecture in several important cases, including the case (1) when all curves are convex, and (2) when the family of curves can be partitioned into two equal classes such that each curve from the first class touches every curve from the second class. (Two closed or open curves are said to be touching if they have precisely one point in common and at this point the two curves do not properly cross.)

An important ingredient of our proofs is the following statement. Let S be a family of n open curves in ℝ2, so that each curve is the graph of a continuous real function defined on ℝ, and no three of them pass through the same point. If there are nt pairs of touching curves in S, then the number of crossing points is $\Omega(nt\sqrt{\log t/\log\log t})$ .

With an increase in size, configurations of points and lines in the plane usually become complicated and hard to analyze. The “floral” configurations we are introducing here represent a new type that makes accessible and visually intelligible even configurations of considerable size. This is achieved by combining a large degree of symmetry with a hierarchical construction. Depending on the details of the interdependence of these aspects, there are several subtypes that are described and investigated.

In this paper, we study special configurations of lines and points in the complex projective plane, so called k-nets. We describe the role of these configurations in studies of cohomology on arrangement complements. Our most general result is the restriction on k: it can equal only 3, 4, or 5. The most interesting class of nets is formed by 3-nets that relate to finite geometries, latin squares, loops, etc. All known examples of 3-nets in $\mathbb{P}^2$ realize finite Abelian groups. We study the question of which groups can be realized in this way. Our main result is that, except for groups with all invariant factors below 10, the realizable groups are isomorphic to subgroups of a 2-torus. This follows from the ‘algebraization’ result asserting that, in the dual plane, the points dual to lines of a net lie on a plane cubic.