Let X be a complex-projective contact manifold with $b_2(X)=1$. It has long been conjectured that X should then be rational-homogeneous, or equivalently, that there exists an embedding $X \to {\mathbb P}^n$ whose image contains lines.

We show that X is covered by a compact family of rational curves, called ‘contact lines’, that behave very much like the lines on the rational-homogeneous examples: if $x \in X$ is a general point, then all contact lines through x are smooth, no two of them share a common tangent direction at x, and the union of all contact lines through x forms a cone over an irreducible, smooth base. As a corollary, we obtain that the tangent bundle of X is stable.

Let $V$ be a $K3$ surface defined over a number field $k$. The Batyrev-Manin conjecture for $V$ states that for every nonempty open subset $U$ of $V$, there exists a finite set ${{Z}_{U}}$ of accumulating rational curves such that the density of rational points on $U\,-\,{{Z}_{U}}$ is strictly less than the density of rational points on ${{Z}_{U}}$. Thus, the set of rational points of $V$ conjecturally admits a stratification corresponding to the sets ${{Z}_{U}}$ for successively smaller sets $U$.

In this paper, in the case that $V$ is a Kummer surface, we prove that the Batyrev-Manin conjecture for $V$ can be reduced to the Batyrev-Manin conjecture for $V$ modulo the endomorphisms of $V$ induced by multiplication by $m$ on the associated abelian surface $A$. As an application, we use this to show that given some restrictions on $A$, the set of rational points of $V$ which lie on rational curves whose preimages have geometric genus 2 admits a stratification of Batyrev-Manin type.

A new method to approach enumerative questions about rational curves on algebraic varieties is described. The idea is to reduce the counting problems to computations on the Néron-Severi group of a ruled surface. Applications include a short proof of Kontsevich‘s formula for plane curves and the solution of the analogous problem for the Hirzebruch surface F$_3$.

Let S be a smooth, minimal rational surface. The geometry of the Severi variety parametrising irreducible, rational curves in a given linear system on S is studied. The results obtained are applied to enumerative geometry, in combination with ideas from Quantum Cohomology. Formulas enumerating rational curves are found, some of which generalised Kontsevich‘s formula for plane curves.