We study the group of automorphisms of Shimura curves $X_0(D, N)$ attached to an Eichler order of square-free level $N$ in an indefinite rational quaternion algebra of discriminant $D>1$. We prove that, when the genus $g$ of the curve is greater than or equal to 2, $\Aut (X_0(D, N))$ is a 2-elementary abelian group which contains the group of Atkin-Lehner involutions $W_0(D, N)$ as a subgroup of index 1 or 2. It is conjectured that $\Aut (X_0(D, N)) = W_0(D, N)$ except for finitely many values of $(D, N)$ and we provide criteria that allow us to show that this is indeed often the case. Our methods are based on the theory of complex multiplication of Shimura curves and the Cerednik-Drinfeld theory on their rigid analytic uniformization at primes $p\mid D$.
Let V_D be the Shimura curve over \Q attached to the indefinite rational quaternion algebra of discriminant D. In this note we investigate the group of automorphisms of V_D and prove that, in many cases, it is the Atkin-Lehner group. Moreover, we determine the family of bielliptic Shimura curves over \bar \Q and over \Q and we use it to study the set of rational points on V_D over quadratic fields. Finally, we obtain explicit equations of elliptic Atkin-Lehner quotients of V_D.
We show that conjugation by an automorphism of the complex numbers (as an abstract field) may change the topological fundamental group of a locally symmetric variety over C. As a consequence, we obtain a large class of algebraic varieties defined over number fields with the property that different embeddings of the number field into C give complex varieties with nonisomorphic fundamental groups.
In this note we study the supersingular locus of the GU(2,2) Shimura variety modulo a prime which is unramified in the imaginary quadratic extension. The supersingular locus of this Shimura variety can be related to the basic Rapoport-Zink space whose special fibre is described by the Bruhat-Tits stratification. The description for this supersingular locus in the case where the prime is inert in imaginary quadratic field is already known to Howard and Pappas by exploiting the exceptional isomorphism. Our method is more direct without using the exceptional isomorphism.
We describe the determinants of the automorphism groups of hermitian lattices over local fields. Using a result of G. Shimura, this yields an explicit method to compute the special genera in a given genus of hermitian lattices over a number field.
We study the automorphisms of the non-split Cartan modular curves $X_{ns}(p)$ of prime level $p$. We prove that if $p\geq 37$ all the automorphisms preserve the cusps. Furthermore, if $p\equiv 1\text{ mod }12$ and $p\neq 13$, the automorphism group is generated by the modular involution given by the normalizer of a non-split Cartan subgroup of $\text{GL}_2(\mathbb F_p)$. We also prove that for every $p\geq 37$ such that $X_{ns}(p)$ has a CM rational point, the existence of an exceptional rational automorphism would give rise to an exceptional rational point on the modular curve $X_{ns}^+(p)$ a…
Let $F$ be the maximal totally real subfield of $\mathbf{Q}(ζ_{32})$, the cyclotomic field of $32$nd roots of unity. Let $D$ be the quaternion algebra over $F$ ramified exactly at the unique prime above $2$ and 7 of the real places of $F$. Let $\mathcal{O}$ be a maximal order in $D$, and $X_0^D(1)$ the Shimura curve attached to $\mathcal{O}$. Let $C = X_0^D(1)/\langle w_D \rangle$, where $w_D$ is the unique Atkin-Lehner involution on $X_0^D(1)$. We show that the curve $C$ has several striking features. First, it is a hyperelliptic curve of genus $16$, whose hyperelliptic involution is exceptio…
We study the formal properties of correspondences of curves without a core, focusing on the case of étale correspondences. The motivating examples come from Hecke correspondences of Shimura curves. Given a correspondence without a core, we construct an infinite graph $\mathcal{G}_{gen}$ together with a large group of "algebraic" automorphisms $A$. The graph $\mathcal{G}_{gen}$ measures the "generic dynamics" of the correspondence. We construct specialization maps $\mathcal{G}_{gen}\rightarrow\mathcal{G}_{phys}$ to the "physical dynamics" of the correspondence. We also prove results on the numb…
We produce a new family of polynomials f(x) over fields K of characteristic 2 which are exceptional, in the sense that f(x)-f(y) has no absolutely irreducible factors in K[x,y] besides the scalar multiples of x-y; when K is finite, this condition is equivalent to saying there are infinitely many finite extensions L/K for which the map c --> f(c) is bijective on L. Our polynomials have degree (2^e-1)*2^(e-1), where e is odd. Combined with our previous paper arxiv:0707.1835, this completes the classification of indecomposable exceptional polynomials of degree not a power of the characteristic. T…
We find that the first Hurwitz triplet possesses two distinct arithmetic structures. As Shimura curves $X_1$, $X_2$, $X_3$, whose levels are with norm 13. As non-congruence modular curves $Y_1$, $Y_2$, $Y_3$, whose levels are 7. Both of them are defined over ${\Bbb Q}(\cos \frac{2 π}{7})$. However, for the third non-congruence modular curve $Y_3$, there exist an "exotic" duality between the associated non-congruence modular forms and the Hilbert modular forms, both of them are related to ${\Bbb Q}(e^{\frac{2 πi}{13}})$! Our results have relations and applications to modular equations of degree…
The exceptional group $G_2$, when constructed over $Q_p$, may at the same time be considered as the group of automorphisms of an octonion algebra over $Q_p$, or alternatively it may be constructed as a Chevalley group from the root diagram of the appropriate Lie algebra, $g_2$. Each construction has its benefits and drawbacks, and the first part of this work focuses on drawing parallels between the two and describing certain group structures in terms of both. In particular, we explicitly identify the Chevalley generators of $G_2$ as automorphisms of octonions. In the second part of this work w…
