On subfields of the Hermitian function field involving the involution automorphism (Q1710766)

A \textsl{maximal function field} is a global function field \(F\) that attains the Hasse-Weil bound: \(N(F)\leq r+1+2g\sqrt{r}\) where \(N(F)\) is the number of rational places in \(F\) and its constant field is the finite field of \(r\) elements. If \(F\) is a maximal field then either the genus \(g\) is \(0\) or \(r=q^2\) is a square. The Hermitian field \(H/{\mathbb{F}_r}\) is the most important example of a maximal field with \(r=q^2\). The field \(H\) is given by \(H=\mathbb{F}_r(x,y)\) with \(y^q+y=x^{q+1}\). The automorphism group \(A:=\mathrm{Aut}_{\mathbb{F}_r}(H)\) of \(H\) is of order \(|A|= q^3(q^2-1)(q^3+1)\) and the decomposition group \(D(P_{\infty})\) of the infinite prime is of order \(q^3(q^2-1)\). We have that \(A\) is generated by \(D(P_{\infty})\) and the involution \(w\) which is given by \(w(x)=\frac xy\), \(w(y)=\frac 1y\). Since any subfield of a maximal field is maximal, a natural way to find maximal fields is to consider \(\big\{H^G\big\}_{G < A}\). The main objective of the paper under review is to find out possible genera of maximal function fields. Therefore the authors find subgroups \(G\) of \(A\) and then they apply the Riemann-Hurwitz formula to find the genus of each field \(H^G\), \(G < A\). With one exception, in previous papers the subfields considered are the ones fixed by subgroups of \(D(P_{\infty})\). In this paper the authors consider various subgroups involving both \(D(P_{\infty})\) and \(w\). Thus the subfields obtained here are new even though some genera of these fields have been found before. The genera obtained are given in Theorems 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.5, 5.1 and 5.3.