Die Automorphismengruppen hyperelliptischer Kurven. (The groups of automorphisms of hyperelliptic curves) (Q1073122)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a hyperelliptic curve over an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0 and G a group of automorphisms of \(\Gamma\) containing the canonical involution. The authors study the group theoretic structure of G and relate it to the ramification behavior of the morphism \(p:\quad \Gamma \to \Gamma /G.\) Using the well known classification of finite subgroups of PGL(2,\({\mathbb{C}})\), they first obtain a classification of the possible ramification types of p. The computation of the number of involutions in G then shows the main result (theorem 5.1): Up to isomorphism, G depends only on the ramification type of p. Actually, the authors do much more: For each type, the corresponding group is determined, and a way to obtain normal forms is indicated. The proofs use complicated case by case considerations which are carried out only in typical special cases.