We investigate the connection between Osserman limit series (on curves of pseudocompact type) and Amini–Baker limit linear series (on metrized complexes with corresponding underlying curve) via a notion of pre-limit linear series on curves of the same type. Then, applying the smoothing theorems of Osserman limit linear series, we deduce that, fixing certain metrized complexes, or for certain types of Amini–Baker limit linear series, the smoothability is equivalent to a certain “weak glueing condition”. Also for arbitrary metrized complexes of pseudocompact type the weak glueing condition (when it applies) is necessary for smoothability. As an application we confirm the lifting property of specific divisors on the metric graph associated with a certain regular smoothing family, and give a new proof of a result of Cartright, Jensen, and Payne for vertex-avoiding divisors, and generalize it for divisors of rank one in the sense that, for the metric graph, there could be at most three edges (instead of two) between any pair of adjacent vertices.

We investigate the smoothing problem of limit linear series of rank one on an enrichment of the notions of nodal curves and metrized complexes called saturated metrized complexes. We give a finitely verifiable full criterion for smoothability of a limit linear series of rank one on saturated metrized complexes, characterize the space of all such smoothings, and extend the criterion to metrized complexes. As applications, we prove that all limit linear series of rank one are smoothable on saturated metrized complexes corresponding to curves of compact-type, and we prove an analogue for saturated metrized complexes of a theorem of Harris and Mumford on the characterization of nodal curves contained in a given gonality stratum. In addition, we give a full combinatorial criterion for smoothable limit linear series of rank one on saturated metrized complexes corresponding to nodal curves whose dual graphs are made of separate loops.

In this paper, we use the perspective of linear series, and in particular results following from the degeneration tools of limit linear series, to give a number of new results on the existence and non-existence of tamely branched covers of the projective line in positive characteristic. Our results are both in terms of ramification indices and the sharper invariant of monodromy cycles, and the first class of results are obtained by intrinsically algebraic and positive-characteristic arguments.