Towards an algorithm for the stable reduction of \(p\)-cyclic covers of the projective line on a \(p\)-adic field (Q1566337)

This paper addresses the problem of finding an algorithm to describe the special fibre of the stable model of a \(p\)-cyclic cover of the projective line, ramified in \(m+1\) points, when everything is defined over a \(p\)-adic field. Here, \(p\)-adic field means a field of unequal characteristic \(p>0\) complete with respect to a discrete valuation. C. Lehr, in his doctoral thesis, gave such an algorithm under a technical hypothesis on the branch locus, and assuming additionally that \(m<p\). This latter condition is very restrictive, e.g. it excludes the study of the reduction of hyperelliptic curves at the prime 2. The present paper keeps the hypothesis on the branch locus but succeeds in eliminating the condition \(m<p\). This is done in the first three sections. The final section gives several interesting examples and explicit computations, including the case of hyperelliptic curves at \(p=2\).