For every odd prime number p, we give examples of non-constant smooth families of genus 2 curves over fields of characteristic p which have pro-Galois (pro-étale) covers of infinite degree with geometrically connected fibers. The Jacobians of the curves are isomorphic to products of elliptic curves.
We show all the possible structures of finite subgroups of the automorphism groups of elliptic curves. Here the automorphism means the biholomorphic transformation. Using the result, we determine every Galois group G at outer Galois point for genus-one curve with singular points. In particular, if G is abelian, then its order is at most nine. However if not so, the order is unbounded. Furthermore, we give every defining equation of the curve with the Galois point in the case where G is abelian.
In this article, we develop the geometry of canonical stratifications of the spaces $\mathcal{M}_{0,n}$ and prepare ground for studying the action of the Galois group $Gal (\overline{\mathbb{Q}} /\mathbb{Q})$ upon strata. We define and introduce a version of a gravity operad constructed for a class of moduli spaces $\mathcal{M}_{0,n}$, equipped with a hidden holomorphic involution. This additional symmetry is associated to a split quaternionic structure. We introduce a categorical framework to present this object. Interaction between the geometry, physics and the arithmetics are discussed. An …
Let $ϕ:\,X\rightarrow Y$ be a (possibly ramified) cover between two algebraic curves of positive genus. We develop tools that may identify the Prym variety of $ϕ$, up to isogeny, as the Jacobian of a quotient curve $C$ in the Galois closure of the composition of $ϕ$ with a well-chosen map $Y\rightarrow \mathbb{P}^1$. This method allows us to recover all previously obtained descriptions of a Prym variety in terms of a Jacobian that are known to us, besides yielding new applications. We also find algebraic equations for some of these new cases, including one where $X$ has genus $3$, $Y$ has genu…
Given a Prym-Teichmüller curve in $\mathcal{M}_3$, this note provides an invariant that sorts the cusp prototypes of Lanneau and Nguyen by component. This can be seen as an analogue of McMullen's genus $2$ spin invariant, although the source of this invariant is different. Moreover, we describe the Galois action on the cusps of these Teichmüller curves, extending the results of Bouw and Möller in genus $2$. We use this to show that the components of the genus $3$ Prym-Teichmüller curves are homeomorphic.
Given a family of Galois coverings of the projective line we give a simple sufficient condition ensuring that the closure of the image of the family via the period mapping is a special (or Shimura) subvariety in A_g. By a computer program we get the list of all families in genus up to 8 satisfying our condition. There is no family in genus 8, all of them are in genus at most 7. These examples are related to a conjecture of Oort. Among them we get the cyclic examples constructed by various authors (Shimura, Mostow, De Jong-Noot, Rohde, Moonen and others) and the abelian non-cyclic examples foun…
Given an embedding of a smooth projective curve $X$ of genus $g\geq1$ into $\mathbb{P}^N$, we study the locus of linear subspaces of $\mathbb{P}^N$ of codimension 2 such that projection from said subspace, composed with the embedding, gives a Galois morphism $X\to\mathbb{P}^1$. For genus $g\geq2$ we prove that this locus is a smooth projective variety with components isomorphic to projective spaces. If $g=1$ and the embedding is given by a complete linear system, we prove that this locus is also a smooth projective variety whose positive-dimensional components are isomorphic to projective bund…
In this article we classify quadruple Galois canonical covers $ϕ$ of singular surfaces of minimal degree. This complements the work done in math.AG/0302045, so the main output of both papers is the complete classification of quadruple Galois canonical covers of surfaces of minimal degree, both singular and smooth. Our results show that the covers $X$ studied in this article are all regular surfaces and form a bounded family in terms of geometric genus $p_g$. In fact, the geometric genus of $X$ is bounded by 4. Together with the results of Horikawa and Konno for double and triple covers, a stri…
We study wildly ramified G-Galois covers $ϕ:Y \to X$ branched at B (defined over an algebraically closed field of characteristic p). We show that curves Y of arbitrarily high genus occur for such covers even when G, X, B and the inertia groups are fixed. The proof relies on a Galois action on covers of germs of curves and formal patching. As a corollary, we prove that for any nontrivial quasi-p group G and for any sufficiently large integer $σ$ with $p \nmid σ$, there exists a G-Galois étale cover of the affine line with conductor $σ$ above the point $\infty$.
For an abelian surface A over a number field k, we study the limiting distribution of the normalized Euler factors of the L-function of A. This distribution is expected to correspond to taking characteristic polynomials of a uniform random matrix in some closed subgroup of USp(4); this Sato-Tate group may be obtained from the Galois action on any Tate module of A. We show that the Sato-Tate group is limited to a particular list of 55 groups up to conjugacy. We then classify A according to the Galois module structure on the R-algebra generated by endomorphisms of A_Qbar (the Galois type), and e…
A point on a plane curve is said to be Galois (for the curve) if the projection from the point as a map from the curve to a line induces a Galois extension of function fields. It is known that the number of Galois points is finite except for a certain explicit example. We establish upper bounds for the number of Galois points for all plane curves other than the example in terms of the genus, degree and the generic order of contact, and settle curves attaining the bounds.
Let $\mathbb{F}$ be the finite field of order $q^2$, $q=p^h$ with $p$ prime. It is commonly atribute to J.P. Serre the fact that any curve $\mathbb{F}$-covered by the Hermitian curve $\mathcal{H}_{q+1}:\, y^{q+1}=x^q+x$ is also $\mathbb{F}$-maximal. Nevertheless, the converse is not true as the Giulietti-Korchmáros example shows provided that $q>8$ and $h\equiv 0\pmod{3}$. In this paper, we show that if an $\mathbb{F}$-maximal curve $\mathcal{X}$ of genus $g\geq 2$ where $q=p$ is such that $|Aut(\mathcal{X})|>84(g-1)$ then $\mathcal{X}$ is Galois-covered by $\mathcal{H}_{p+1}$. Also, we show t…
We give a new example of a curve C algebraically, but not rationally, uniformized by radicals. This means that C has no map onto the projective line P^1 with solvable Galois group, while there exists a curve C' that maps onto C and has a finite morphism to P^1 with solvable Galois group. We construct such a curve C of genus 9 in the second symmetric product of a general curve of genus 2. It is also an example of a genus 9 curve that does not satisfy condition S(4,2,9) of Abramovich and Harris.
For a plane curve, a point on the projective plane is said to be Galois if the projection from the point as a map from the curve to a line induces a Galois extension of function fields. We present upper bounds for the number of Galois points, if the genus is greater than zero. If the curve is not an immersed curve, then we have at most two Galois points. If the degree is not divisible by two nor three, then the number of outer Galois points is at most three. As a consequence, a conjecture of Yoshihara is true in these cases.
In this paper we construct Galois towers with good asymptotic properties over any non-prime finite field $\mathbb F_{\ell}$; i.e., we construct sequences of function fields $\mathcal{N}=(N_1 \subset N_2 \subset \cdots)$ over $\mathbb F_{\ell}$ of increasing genus, such that all the extensions $N_i/N_1$ are Galois extensions and the number of rational places of these function fields grows linearly with the genus. The limits of the towers satisfy the same lower bounds as the best currently known lower bounds for the Ihara constant for non-prime finite fields. Towers with these properties are imp…
In this paper, we explicitly determine the automorphism group of every nonhyperelliptic superspecial curve of genus $4$ over $\mathbb{F}_{11}$. Our algorithm determining automorphism groups works for any nonhyperelliptic curves of genus $4$ over finite fields. With this computation, we show the compatibility between the enumeration of superspecial curves of genus $4$ over $\mathbb{F}_{11}$ obtained computationally by the first and second authors in 2017 and an enumeration by Galois cohomology theory.
The Frey--Mazur conjecture states that an elliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$ is determined up to isogeny by its $p$-torsion Galois representation for $p\geq 17$. We study a geometric analog of this conjecture, and show that the map from isogeny classes of "fake elliptic curves"---abelian surfaces with quaternionic multiplication---to their $p$-torsion Galois representations is one-to-one over function fields of small genus complex curves for sufficiently large $p$ relative to the genus.
Let $f:X \to S$ be a Galois cover of Riemann surfaces, with Galois group $G$. In this paper we analyze the $G$-invariant divisors on $X$, and their associated spaces of meromorphic functions, differentials, and $q$-differentials. We generalize the trace formula for non-trivial elements of $G$ on $q$-differentials, as well as the Chevalley--Weil Formula. When $G$ is Abelian or when the genus of $S$ is 0 we prove additional results, and we also determine the non-special $G$-invariant divisors when both conditions are satisfied.
Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p>0$. Let $G$ be $Z/\ell Z$ semi-direct product $Z/pZ$ where $\ell$ is a prime distinct from $p$. In this paper, we study Galois covers $ψ:Z \to P^1_k$ ramified only over $\infty$ with Galois group $G$. We find the minimal genus of a curve $Z$ that admits such a cover and show that it depends only on $\ell$, $p$, and the order $a$ of $\ell$ modulo $p$. We also prove that the number of curves $Z$ of this minimal genus which admit such a cover is at most $(p-1)/a$.
For each linearly normal elliptic curve $C$ in $\mathbb P^3$, we determine Galois lines and their arrangement. The results are as follows: the curve $C$ has just six $V_4$-lines and in case $j(C)=1$, it has eight $Z_4$-lines in addition. The $V_4$-lines form the edges of a tetrahedron, in case $j(C)=1$, for each vertex of the tetrahedron, there exist just two $Z_4$-lines passing through it. We obtain as a corollary that each plane quartic curve of genus one does not have more than one Galois point.
For each nonsingular hyperelliptic curve of arbitrary genus, we construct a natural injection from the Galois cohomology of 2-torsion subgroups of Jacobian varieties of the curve to the set of isomorphism classes of nonsingular complete intersections of two quadrics. This gives a generalization of the result of Flynn and Skorobogatov.
In a talk at the Banff International Research Station in 2015 Asher Auel asked questions about genus one curves in Severi-Brauer varieties $SB(A)$. More specifically he asked about the smooth cubic curves in Severi-Brauer surfaces, that is in $SB(D)$ where $D/F$ is a degree three division algebra. Even more specifically, he asked about the Jacobian, $E$, of these curves. In this paper we give a version of an answer to both these questions, describing the surprising connection between these curves and properties of the algebra $A$. Let $F$ contain $ρ$, a primitive third root of one. Since $D/F$…
In this article we consider the moduli space of smooth $n$-pointed non-hyperelliptic curves of genus 3. In the pursuit of cohomological information about this space, we make $\mathbb{S}_n$-equivariant counts of its numbers of points defined over finite fields for $n \leq 7$. Combining this with results on the moduli spaces of smooth pointed curves of genus 0, 1 and 2, and the moduli space of smooth hyperelliptic curves of genus 3, we can determine the $\mathbb{S}_n$-equivariant Galois and Hodge structure of the ($\ell$-adic respectively Betti) cohomology of the moduli space of stable curves of…
Let $X$ be a smooth projective connected curve of genus $g\ge 2$ defined over an algebraically closed field $k$ of characteristic $p>0$. Let $G$ be a finite group, $P$ a Sylow $p$-subgroup of $G$ and $N_G(P)$ its normalizer in $G$. We show that if there exists an étale Galois cover $Y\to X$ with group $N_G(P)$, then $G$ is the Galois group wan étale Galois cover $\mathcal{Y}\to\mathcal{X}$, where the genus of $\mathcal{X}$ depends on the order of $G$, the number of Sylow $p$-subgroups of $G$ and $g$. Suppose that $G$ is an extension of a group $H$ of order prime to $p$ by a $p$-group $P$ and $…
The V_4-lines for each linearly normal space elliptic curve form the edges of a tetrahedron, however in case the elliptic curve has j=12^3, there exist Z_4-lines in addition. We show the arrangement of V_4 and Z_4-lines explicitly for the curve. As a corollary we obtain that each irreducible quartic curve with genus one has at most two Galois points.
We give a complete list of rational functions $A$ such that the genus $g$ of the Galois closure of $\mathbb C(z)/\mathbb C(A)$ equals zero. We also provide a geometric description of $A$ for which $g=1.$
We study the relationship between rational points and Galois points for a plane curve over a finite field. It is known that the set of Galois points coincides with that of rational points of the projective plane if the curve is the Hermitian, Klein quartic or Ballico-Hefez curves. We propose a problem: Does the converse hold true? When the curve of genus at most one has a rational point, we will have an affirmative answer.
To figure properties of a curve of form $C_{f,g} = {(x,y)| f(x) - g(y)= 0}$ you must address the genus 0 and 1 components of its projective normalization $\tilde C_{f,g}$. For $f$ and $g$ polynomials with $f$ indecomposable, [Fr73a] distinguished $\tilde C_{f,g}$ with $u=1$ versus $u > 1$ components (Schinzel's problem). For $u = 1$, [Prop. 1, Fr73b] gave a direct genus formula. To complete $u > 1$ required an adhoc genus computation. [Pak22] dropped the indecomposable and polynomial restrictions but added $\tilde C_{f,g}$ is irreducible ($u = 1$). He showed - for fixed $f$ - unless the Galois…
We classify, up to isomorphism, maximal curves covered by the Hermitian curve \mathcal H by a prime degree Galois covering. We also compute the genus of maximal curves obtained by the quotient of \mathcal H by several automorphisms groups. Finally we discuss the value for the third largest genus that a maximal curve can have.
Given a smooth projective curve $X$ of genus at least 2 over a number field $k$, Grothendieck's Section Conjecture predicts that the canonical projection from the étale fundamental group of $X$ onto the absolute Galois group of $k$ has a section if and only if the curve has a rational point. We show that there exist curves where the above map has a section over each completion of $k$ but not over $k$. In the appendix Victor Flynn gives explicit examples in genus 2. Our result is a consequence of a more general investigation of the existence of sections for the projection of the étale fundament…
In this article we study the bicanonical map $ϕ_2$ of quadruple Galois canonical covers X of surfaces of minimal degree. We show that $ϕ_2$ has diverse behavior and exhibit most of the complexities that are possible for a bicanonical map of surfaces of general type, depending on the type of X. There are cases in which $ϕ_2$ is an embedding, and if so happens, $ϕ_2$ embeds $X$ as a projectively normal variety, and cases in which $ϕ_2$ is not an embedding. If the latter, $ϕ_2$ is finite of degree 1, 2 or 4. We also study the canonical ring of X, proving that it is generated in degree less than o…
We consider the moduli space $\Hh_{g,n}$ of $n$-pointed smooth hyperelliptic curves of genus $g$. In order to get cohomological information we wish to make $\s_n$-equivariant counts of the numbers of points defined over finite fields of this moduli space. We find recurrence relations in the genus that these numbers fulfill. Thus, if we can make $\s_n$-equivariant counts of $\Hh_{g,n}$ for low genus, then we can do this for every genus. Information about curves of genus 0 and 1 is then found to be sufficient to compute the answers for $\Hh_{g,n}$ for all $g$ and for $n \leq 7$. These results ar…
This survey is about Galois theory of curves in characteristic p, a topic which has inspired major research in algebraic geometry and number theory and which contains many open questions. We illustrate important phenomena which occur for covers of curves in characteristic p. We explain key results on the structure of fundamental groups. We end by describing areas of active research and giving two new results about the genus and p-rank of certain covers of the affine line.
In this article we classify quadruple Galois canonical covers of smooth surfaces of minimal degree. The classification shows that they are either non-simple cyclic covers or bi-double covers. If they are bi-double then they are all fiber products of double covers. We construct examples to show that all the possibilities in the classification do exist. There are implications of this classification that include the existence of families with unbounded geometric genus and families with unbounded irregularity, in sharp contrast with the case of double and triple canonical covers. Together with the…
Let $K$ be a number field not containing a CM subfield. For any smooth projective curve $Y/K$ of genus $\geq2$, we prove that the image of the "Selmer" part of Grothendieck's section set inside the $K_v$-rational points $Y(K_v)$ is finite for every finite place $v$. This gives an unconditional verification of a prediction of Grothendieck's section conjecture. In the process of proving our main result, we also refine and extend the method of Lawrence and Venkatesh, with potential consequences for explicit computations.
We study Shimura subvarieties of $\mathsf{A}_g$ obtained from families of Galois coverings $f: C \rightarrow C'$ where $C'$ is a smooth complex projective curve of genus $g' \geq 1$ and $g= g(C)$. We give the complete list of all such families that satisfy a simple sufficient condition that ensures that the closure of the image of the family via the Torelli map yields a Shimura subvariety of $\mathsf{A}_g$ for $g' =1,2$ and for all $g \geq 2,4$ and for $g' > 2$ and $g \leq 9$. In a previous work of the first and second author together with A. Ghigi [FGP] similar computations were done in the c…
This paper is devoted to the explicit description of the Galois descent obstruction for hyperelliptic curves of arbitrary genus whose reduced automorphism group is cyclic of order coprime to the characteristic of their ground field. Along the way, we obtain an arithmetic criterion for the existence of a hyperelliptic descent. The obstruction is described by the so-called arithmetic dihedral invariants of the curves in question. If it vanishes, then the use of these invariants also allows the explicit determination of a model over the field of moduli; if not, then one obtains a hyperelliptic mo…
We study group actions on regular models of curves. If $X$ is a smooth curve defined over the fraction field $K$ of a complete d.v.r. $R$, every tamely ramified extension $K'/K$ with Galois group $G$ induces a $G$-action on $X_{K'}$. In this paper we study the extension of this $G$-action to certain regular models of $X_{K'}$. In particular, we obtain a formula for the Brauer trace of the endomorphism induced by a group element on the alternating sum of the cohomology groups of the structure sheaf of the special fiber of such a regular model. Inspired by this global study, we also consider sim…
In this article we construct for any prime power $q$ and odd $n \ge 5$, a new $\mathbb{F}_{q^{2n}}$-maximal curve $\mathcal X_n$. Like the Garcia--G\" uneri--Stichtenoth maximal curves, our curves generalize the Giulietti--Korchmáros maximal curve, though in a different way. We compute the full automorphism group of $\mathcal X_n$, yielding that it has precisely $q(q^2-1)(q^n+1)$ automorphisms. Further, we show that unless $q=2$, the curve $\mathcal{X}_n$ is not a Galois subcover of the Hermitian curve. Finally, we find new values of the genus spectrum of $\mathbb{F}_{q^{2n}}$-maximal curves, …
In this article, we show that in each of four standard families of hyperelliptic curves, there is a density-$1$ subset of members with the property that their Jacobians have adelic Galois representation with image as large as possible. This result constitutes an explicit application of a general theorem on arbitrary rational families of abelian varieties to the case of families of Jacobians of hyperelliptic curves. Furthermore, we provide explicit examples of hyperelliptic curves of genus $2$ and $3$ over $\mathbb Q$ whose Jacobians have such maximal adelic Galois representations.
In this paper we study genus 2 curves whose Jacobians admit a polarized (4,4)-isogeny to a product of elliptic curves. We consider base fields of characteristic different from 2 and 3, which we do not assume to be algebraically closed. We obtain a full classification of all principally polarized abelian surfaces that can arise from gluing two elliptic curves along their 4-torsion and we derive the relation their absolute invariants satisfy. As an intermediate step, we give a general description of Richelot isogenies between Jacobians of genus 2 curves, where previously only Richelot isogenies …
Let $X$ be a smooth curve defined over the fraction field $K$ of a complete d.v.r. $R$, and let $K'/K$ be a tame extension. We study extensions of the $G = \Gal(K'/K)$-action on $ X_{K'} $ to certain regular models of $X_{K'}$ over $R'$, the integral closure of $R$ in $K'$. In particular, we consider the induced action on the cohomology groups of the structure sheaf of the special fiber of such a regular model, and obtain a formula for the Brauer trace of the endomorphism induced by a group element on the alternating sum of the cohomology groups. We apply these results to study a natural filtr…
We study triple covers of K3 surfaces, following Miranda's theory of triple covers. We relate the geometry of the covering surfaces with the properties of both the branch locus and the Tschirnhausen vector bundle. In particular, we classify Galois triple covers computing numerical invariants of the covering surface and of its minimal model. We provide examples of non Galois triple covers, both in the case in which the Tschirnhausen bundle splits into the sum of two line bundles and in the case in which it is an indecomposable rank 2 vector bundle. We provide a criterion to construct rank 2 vec…