Periods of Strebel differentials and algebraic curves defined over the field of algebraic numbers. (Q1811390)

The authors consider questions of algebraicity and transcendance of ``periods'' of a so-called Strebel differential \(q\) on a compact Riemann surface (the reviewer breaks such quadratic differentials long before Strebel did). The periods refer to the length in the \(q\)-metric of appropriate trajectories of \(q\). The authors utilize the interpretation of the structure of trajectories of \(q\) joining finite critical joints as a metric ribbon graph: the metric on a side being given by the \(q\)-length of the corresponding trajectory. The authors have shown previously [Asian J. Math. 2, No. 4, 875--919 (1998; Zbl 0964.30023)] that if a compact Riemann surface admits a Strebel differential \(q\) much rational periods that it is the complex model of an algebraic curve defined over the field \(\overline Q\) of algebraic numbers. In this article the authors construct such a \(q\) on an arbitrary complete nonsingular algebraic curve \(C\) defined over \(\overline Q\) such that (i) all poles of \(q\) are \(\overline Q\) rational points of \(C\), (ii) the residue of \(q^{{1\over 2}}\) at each pole is a positive integer, (iii) \(q\) has a transcendent period. The authors proceed by giving a fairly straightforward construction in the special case of \(p'\) to which they reduce the general case.