On étale \(SL_ 2(F_ p)\)-coverings of algebraic curves of genus 2 (Q1094492)

Let k be an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic \(p\) and C a smooth connected complete non-singular curve of genus \(2\) over k (and assume \(p\neq 2,3)\). One gives an upper bound for the number of finite étale Galois coverings of C of Galois group isomorphic to \(SL_ 2(F_ p)\) \((F_ p\) is a finite field with p elements). Using a result of Ihara, one gets in particular that this number is strictly smaller than \(N(2,SL_ 2(F_ p))\). The later number is the number of finite unramified Galois coverings of Galois group isomorphic to \(SL_ 2(F_ p)\) of a compact Riemann surface of genus 2.