On the rationality of certain Fano threefolds

Abstract: In this paper I study the rationality problem for Fano threefolds $X\subset \p^{p+1}$ of genus $p$, that are Gorenstein, with at most canonical singularities. The main results are: (1) a trigonal Fano threefold of genus $p$ is rational as soon as $p\geq 8$ (this result has already been obtained in \cite {PCS}, but we give here an independent proof); (2) a non--trigonal Fano threefold of genus $p\geq 7$ containing a plane is rational; (3) any Fano threefold of genus $p\geq 17$ is rational; (4) a Fano threefold of genus $p\geq 12$ containing an ordinary line $\ell$ in its smooth locus is rational.