The strong maximal rank conjecture and moduli spaces of curves

Building on recent work of the authors, we use degenerations to chains of elliptic curves to prove two cases of the Aprodu–Farkas strong maximal rank conjecture, in genus $22$ and $23$. This constitutes a major step forward in Farkas’ program to prove that the moduli spaces of curves of genus $22$ and $23$ are of general type. Our techniques involve a combination of the Eisenbud–Harris theory of limit linear series, and the notion of linked linear series developed by Osserman.