We investigate a class of odd (ramification) coverings $C \to \mathbb{P}^1$ where $C$ is hyperelliptic, its Weierstrass points maps to one fixed point of $\mathbb{P}^1$ and the covering map makes the hyperelliptic involution of $C$ commute with an involution of $\mathbb{P}^1$. We show that the total number of hyperelliptic odd coverings of minimal degree $4g$ is ${3g \choose g-1} 2^{2g}$ when $C$ is general. Our study is approached from three main perspectives: if a fixed effective theta characteristic is fixed they are described as a solution of a certain class of differential equations; then they are studied from the monodromy viewpoint and a deformation argument that leads to the final computation.
We find a new presentation of the stack of hyperelliptic curves of odd genus as a quotient stack and we use it to compute its integral Chow ring by means of equivariant intersection theory.
It is well known that the Prym variety of an étale cyclic covering of a hyperelliptic curve is isogenous to the product of two Jacobians. Moreover, if the degree of the covering is odd or congruent to 2 mod 4, then the canonical isogeny is an isomorphism. We compute the degree of this isogeny in the remaining cases and show that only in the case of coverings of degree 4 it is an isomorphism.
Let p be an odd prime number and g $\ge$ 2 be an integer. We present an algorithm for computing explicit rational representations of isogenies between Jacobians of hyperelliptic curves of genus g over an extension K of the field of p-adic numbers Qp. It relies on an efficient resolution, with a logarithmic loss of p-adic precision, of a first order system of differential equations.
We show that for any elliptic curve (with j invariant not 0 or 1728) over any field of characteristic different from 2 and 3, there exists an hyperelliptic curve H of genus 5 with two independent maps to the given elliptic curve. We also show that, if we want such a curve to be just geometrically hyperelliptic, so having a degree two map to a conic, then there are some with genus 3.
Let $K$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic different from $2$, $g$ a positive integer, $f(x)\in K[x]$ a degree $2g+1$ monic polynomial without repeated roots, $C_f: y^2=f(x)$ the corresponding genus g hyperelliptic curve over $K$, and $J$ the jacobian of $C_f$. We identify $C_f$ with the image of its canonical embedding into $J$ (the infinite point of $C_f$ goes to the zero of group law on $J$). It is known (arXiv:1809.03061 [math.AG]) that if $g>1$ then $C_f(K)$ does not contain torsion points, whose order lies between $3$ and $2g$. In this paper we study torsion points of ord…
For integers $N\geq 3$ and $g\geq 1$, we study bounds on the cardinality of the set of points of order dividing $N$ lying on a hyperelliptic curve of genus $g$ embedded in its jacobian using a Weierstrass point as base point. This leads us to revisit division polynomials introduced by Cantor in 1995 and strengthen a divisibility result proved by him. Several examples are discussed.
A hyperelliptic curve over $\mathbb Q$ is called "locally soluble" if it has a point over every completion of $\mathbb Q$. In this paper, we prove that a positive proportion of hyperelliptic curves over $\mathbb Q$ of genus $g\geq 1$ are locally soluble but have no points over any odd degree extension of $\mathbb Q$. We also obtain a number of related results. For example, we prove that for any fixed odd integer $k > 0$, the proportion of locally soluble hyperelliptic curves over $\mathbb Q$ of genus $g$ having no points over any odd degree extension of $\mathbb Q$ of degree at most $k$ tends …
We complete the computation of all $\mathbb{Q}$-rational points on all the $64$ maximal Atkin-Lehner quotients $X_0(N)^*$ such that the quotient is hyperelliptic. To achieve this, we use a combination of various methods, namely the classical Chabauty--Coleman, elliptic curve Chabauty, quadratic Chabauty, and the bielliptic quadratic Chabauty method combined with the Mordell-Weil sieve. Additionally, for square-free levels $N$, we classify all $\mathbb{Q}$-rational points as cusps, CM points (including their CM field and $j$-invariants) and exceptional ones. We further indicate how to use this …
We compute the rational cohomology of the moduli space of non-singular non-hyperelliptic complex projective curves of genus 3 with an odd theta characteristic.
Given a principally polarized abelian variety $A$ of dimension $g$ over an algebraically closed field $k$ of characteristic $p$, the $p$ torsion $A[p]$ is a finite flat $p$-torsion group scheme of rank $p^{2g}$. There are exactly $2^g$ possible group schemes that can occur as some such $A[p]$. In this paper, we study which group schemes can occur as $J[p]$, where $J$ is the Jacobian of a hyperelliptic curve defined over $\mathbb{F}_p$. We do this by computing explicit formulae for the action of Frobenius and its dual on the de Rham cohomology of a hyperelliptic curve with respect to a given ba…
Let N be the moduli space of stable rank 2 quasiparabolic vector bundles of fixed degree on the projective line with 2g+1 marked points, where g>1, and stability is with respect to the weights {0,1/2} at each marked point. In this note we show that N is isomorphic to the variety of (g-2)-dimensional linear subspaces of P^{2g}, contained in the intersection of two quadrics. The proof relies on the work of Bhosle on the relation among quasiparabolic vector bundles on P^1 and invariant vector bundles on hyperelliptic curves, and the description by Bhosle and Ramanan of the moduli space of stable …
Let $K$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic different from 2, $g$ a positive integer, $f(x)$ a degree $(2g+1)$ polynomial with coefficients in $K$ and without multiple roots, $C:y^2=f(x)$ the corresponding genus $g$ hyperelliptic curve over K, and $J$ the jacobian of $C$. We identify $C$ with the image of its canonical embedding into $J$ (the infinite point of $C$ goes to the identity element of $J$). It is well known that for each $\mathfrak{b} \in J(K)$ there are exactly $2^{2g}$ elements $\mathfrak{a} \in J(K)$ such that $2\mathfrak{a}=\mathfrak{b}$. M. Stoll constructed an a…
We prove that in odd characteristic the jacobian of a hyperelliptic curve $y^2=f(x)$ has no nontrivial endomorphisms over an algebraic closure of the ground field if the Galois group of the polynomial $f$ of even degree is ``very big". The case of characteristic zero was previously treated by the author (Math. Res. Letters 7(2000), 123--132).
Let $p$ be an odd prime number. We propose an algorithm for computing rational representations of isogenies between Jacobians of hyperelliptic curves via-adic differential equations with a sharp analysis of the loss of precision. Consequently, after having possibly lifted the problem in the $p$-adics, we derive fast algorithms for computing explicitly Cantor's division polynomials of hyperelliptic curves defined over finite fields.
Let $K$ be the quotient field of a discrete valuation ring $R$ with residue characteristic $\not=2$, and let $C$ be a hyperelliptic curve over $K$. We assume that all geometric branch points of the double covering $C\twoheadrightarrow{\mathbb P}^1_K$ are rational and mark both $C$ and ${\mathbb P}^1_K$ with these branch points. After possibly replacing $R$ by a ramified extension of degree $2$, we give a direct construction for the stable model of $C$ as a marked curve over $R$. We deduce that the closed fiber of this stable model is determined completely by the closed fiber of the stable mode…
Let $p$ be an odd prime number and be an integer coprime to $p$. We survey an algorithm for computing explicit rational representations of $(\ell,...,\ell)$-isogenies between Jacobians of hyperelliptic curves of arbitrary genus over an extension $K$ of the field of $p$-adic numbers $\mathbb{Q}\_p$. The algorithm has a quasi-linear complexity in $\ell$ as well as in the genus of the curves.
In this note, we introduce the notion of an unramified strongly cyclic covering for a cyclic curve, a class that has similar properties to, and contains, unramified double covers of hyperelliptic curves. We determine several of their basic properties, extending the theorems in \cite{MR2217998} to this larger class. In particular, we will write down equations for smooth affine models, determine when they are isomorphic, and discuss the curves that they are ramified cyclic covers of.
One of the big questions in the area of curves over finite fields concerns the distribution of the numbers of points: Which numbers occur as the number of points on a curve of genus $g$? The same question can be asked of various subclasses of curves. In this article we classify the possibilities for the number of points on genus 4 hyperelliptic supersingular curves over finite fields of order $2^n$, $n$ odd.
Let $p:S\to S_g$ be a finite $G$-covering of a closed surface of genus $g\geq 1$ and let $B$ its branch locus. To this data, it is associated a representation of a finite index subgroup of the mapping class group $\operatorname{Mod}(S_g\smallsetminus B)$ in the centralizer of the group $G$ in the symplectic group $\operatorname{Sp}(H_1(S,{\mathbb Q}))$. They are called \emph{virtual linear representations} of the mapping class group and are related, via a conjecture of Putman and Wieland, to a question of Kirby and Ivanov on the abelianization of finite index subgroup of the mapping class grou…
Let $f(x)$ be a degree $(2g+1)$ monic polynomial with coefficients in an algebraically closed field $K$ with $char(K)\ne 2$ and without repeated roots. Let $\mathfrak{R}\subset K$ be the $(2g+1)$-element set of roots of $f(x)$. Let $\mathcal{C}: y^2=f(x)$ be an odd degree genus $g$ hyperelliptic curve over $K$. Let $J$ be the jacobian of $\mathcal{C}$ and $J[2]\subset J(K)$ the (sub)group of its points of order dividing $2$. We identify $\mathcal{C}$ with the image of its canonical embedding into $J$ (the infinite point of $\mathcal{C}$ goes to the identity element of $J$). Let $P=(a,b)\in \ma…
We compute rational points on genus $3$ odd degree hyperelliptic curves $C$ over $\mathbb{Q}$ that have Jacobians of Mordell-Weil rank $0$. The computation applies the Chabauty-Coleman method to find the zero set of a certain system of $p$-adic integrals, which is known to be finite and include the set of rational points $C(\mathbb{Q})$. We implemented an algorithm in Sage to carry out the Chabauty-Coleman method on a database of $5870$ curves.
Let $K$ be a field of characteristic different from $2$, $\bar{K}$ its algebraic closure. Let $n \ge 3$ be an odd integer. Let $f(x)$ and $h(x)$ be degree $n$ polynomials with coefficients in $K$ and without repeated roots. Let us consider genus $(n-1)/2$ hyperelliptic curves $C_f: y^2=f(x)$ and $C_h: y^2=h(x)$, and their jacobians $J(C_f)$ and $J(C_h)$, which are $(n-1)/2$-dimensional abelian varieties defined over $K$. Suppose that one of the polynomials is irreducible and the other splits completely over $K$. We prove that if $J(C_f)$ and $J(C_h)$ are isogenous over $\bar{K}$ then there is …
We prove that the ramified Prym map $\mathcal P_{g, r}$ which sends a covering $π:D\longrightarrow C$ ramified in $r$ points to the Prym variety $P(π):=\text{Ker}(\text{Nm}_π)$ is an embedding for all $r\ge 6$ and for all $g(C)>0$. Moreover, by studying the restriction to the locus of coverings of hyperelliptic curves, we show that $\mathcal P_{g, 2}$ and $\mathcal P_{g, 4}$ have positive dimensional fibers.
An irreducible smooth projective curve over $\mathbb{F}\_q$ is called \textit{pointless} if it has no $\mathbb{F}\_q$-rational points. In this paper we study the lower existence bound on the genus of such a curve over a fixed finite field $\mathbb{F}\_q$. Using some explicit constructions of hyperelliptic curves, we establish two new bounds that depend linearly on the number $q$. In the case of odd characteristic this improves upon a result of R. Becker and D. Glass. We also provide a similar new bound when $q$ is even.
We describe an algorithm for counting points on an arbitrary hyperelliptic curve over a finite field of odd characteristic, using Monsky-Washnitzer cohomology to compute a p-adic approximation to the characteristic polynomial of Frobenius. For fixed p, the asymptotic running time for a curve of genus g over the field of p^n elements is O(g^{4+ε} n^{3+ε}).
Let E_G be a family of hyperelliptic curves defined by Y^2=Q(X,G), where Q is defined over a small finite field of odd characteristic. Then with g in an extension degree n field over this small field, we present a deterministic algorithm for computing the zeta function of the curve E_g by using Dwork deformation in rigid cohomology. The time complexity of the algorithm is O(n^(2.667)) and it needs O(n^(2.5)) bits of memory. A slight adaptation requires only O(n^2) space, but costs time O(n^3). An implementation of this last result turns out to be quite efficient for n big enough.
Cais, Ellenberg and Zureick-Brown recently observed that over finite fields of characteristic two, all sufficiently general smooth plane projective curves of a given odd degree admit a non-trivial rational 2-torsion point on their Jacobian. We extend their observation to curves given by Laurent polynomials with a fixed Newton polygon, provided that the polygon satisfies a certain combinatorial property. We also show that in each of these cases, the sufficiently general condition is implied by being ordinary. Our treatment includes many classical families, such as hyperelliptic curves of odd ge…
Let H a hyperelliptic curve and let f: C --> H be a cyclic etale covering of degree n, associated to a line bundle in Pic^0 (H) of order n . We prove that the Prym variety P=Prym(C / H) is isomorphic, as abelian varieties, to a product of jacobians when n is not divisible by 4.
We show that there is a bound depending only on g and [K:Q] for the number of K-rational points on a hyperelliptic curve C of genus g over a number field K such that the Mordell-Weil rank r of its Jacobian is at most g-3. If K = Q, an explicit bound is 8 r g + 33 (g - 1) + 1. The proof is based on Chabauty's method; the new ingredient is an estimate for the number of zeros of a logarithm in a p-adic `annulus' on the curve, which generalizes the standard bound on disks. The key observation is that for a p-adic field k, the set of k-points on C can be covered by a collection of disks and annuli …
A new method to construct algebro-geometric solutions of rank two Schlesinger systems is presented. For an elliptic curve represented as a ramified double covering of CP^1, a meromorphic differential is constructed with the following property: the common projection of its two zeros on the base of the covering, regarded as a function of the only moving branch point of the covering, is a solution of a Painleve VI equation. This differential provides an invariant formulation of a classical Okamoto transformation for the Painleve VI equations. A generalization of this differential to hyperelliptic…
The number A(q) is the upper limit of the ratio of the maximum number of points of a curve defined over $\Fq$ to the genus. By constructing class field towers with good parameters we present improvements of lower bounds of A(q) for q an odd power of a prime.
