Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:34:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissert_Stanley.pdf: 300904 bytes, checksum: 858e1f7b615889b7f7b8d24956db175b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-06-26 / We study the rational projective nodal plane curves in the projective plane P2(C) by using the Fermat curve Fn : Xn+Y n+Zn = 0. We deal with the theory of dual curves in the projective plane and a special type of group action of Zn x Zn on the Fermat curve and its dual to construct, for any positive integer n maior ou igual a 3, a rational nodal plane curve of degree equal to n -1. A rational nodal plane curve is a projective rational plane curve (that is, a genus zero curve) that presents as singularities only nodal points, that is, singularities of multiplicity two with distinct tangents. The basic reference is the paper "On Fermat Curves and Maximal Nodal Curves"by Matsuo OKA published in Michigan Math. Journal, v.53. in 2005. / Estudamos curvas projetivas nodais racionais no plano projetivo P2(C) através das curvas de Fermat Fn : Xn+Y n+Zn = 0. Utilizamos a teoria de curvas duais e um tipo especial de ação do grupo Zn x Zn sobre a curva de Fermat e sua dual para construir, para cada n maior ou igual a 3, uma curva plana nodal racional de grau n -1. Uma curva plana nodal racional é uma curva projetiva plana racional (isto é, de gênero zero) que possui apenas singularidades do tipo nó. A referência básica é o trabalho de Matsuo OKA "On Fermat Curves and Maximal Nodal Curves" publicado em 2005 no periódico Michigan Math. Journal, v.53.