On a new type of \(L\)-function for algebraic curves over finite fields (Q1061797)

Let C be a smooth algebraic curve over a finite field of characteristic p\(>0\), and let A denote the Dedekind ring of all functions on C which are regular outside a fixed rational point \(\infty\). The author had introduced a new type of L-functions [Invent. Math. 55, 107-116; 117-119 (1979; Zbl 0402.12006 and Zbl 0402.12007)] with values in the \(\infty\)- adic completion K of the function field k of A and more general in finite extensions over K. These L-functions are defined by some sort of Dirichlet series for \(s=(s_ 0,s_ 1)\in K^{\times}\times {\mathbb{Z}}_ p\) and for \(\bar K-\)valued characters \(\chi\) on a certain extension of the 1-units \(U_ 1\) in K by the ideal class group of A in close analogy to the number field case. On the ''halfplane'' degree \((s_ 0)>0\) the L- series become obviously convergent and even have an Euler product. In fact they turn out to be ''entire''. A simplified version of the author's results on the special values at ''positive integer powers'' \(s=(\pi^{- i},i)\) (with \(\pi\) a uniformizer at \(\infty)\) for positive \(i\in {\mathbb{N}}\) is summarized [by the author in Duke Math. J. 47, 345-364 (1980; Zbl 0441.12002)] where remarkable similarities with cyclotomic fields show up, such as periods, Bernoulli-Carlitz ideals, von Staudt-Clausen type results and \(\Gamma\)-functions. Among other things there are algebraicity results for \(s_ 1=-i\), a negative integer, and just as in the cyclotomic number field case these values can be interpolated v-adically for any finite prime v of A. The interpretation of these facts in terms of distributions is discussed and a Kummer criterion for the p- divisibility of the class number is given. Most of the material in this article seems to have appared in the papers quoted above and in J. Algebra 81, 107-149 (1983; Zbl 0516.12010).