Hyperelliptic curves with zero Hasse-Witt matrix (Q1345756)

Fix a base field \(k\) of characteristic \(p > 2\), and consider a hyperelliptic curve over \(k\). By a result of \textit{Nygaard}, its Jacobian is a product of supersingular elliptic curves if and only if its Hasse- Witt matrix is the zero matrix. By analyzing Hasse-Witt matrices, the author is able to give an essentially elementary proof of a theorem of \textit{Ekedahl}: If the Jacobian of a hyperelliptic curve is a product of supersingular elliptic curves, then the genus \(g\) of the curve satisfies \(g\leq(p-1)/2\) and, moreover, there is a unique such hyperelliptic curve of genus \((p - 1)/2\) up to isomorphism. The paper concludes with the determination of all hyperelliptic curves with zero Hasse-Witt matrix in two families, namely \(y^2 = x^n - x\) and \(y^2 = x^n - 1\).