Families of supersingular curves in characteristic 2. (Q1812509)

Let \(X\) be a projective, smooth and geometrically integral algebraic curve of genus \(g\) defined over an algebraic closed field \(k\). The curve \(X\) is said to be supersingular if its Jacobian is a supersingular variety, that is, its Newton polygon is a straight line segment of slope 1/2. This paper concerns hyperelliptic supersingular curves in the case \(\text{char} (k)= 2\). Under these assumptions a previous result of the same authors [Int. Mat. Res. Not. 2002, No. 17, 905--917 (2002; Zbl 1034.14013)] implies that \(X\) has an affine equation of type \(y^2-y=x^{2g+1}+c_{2g-1} x^{2g-1}+\cdots+ c_2x^2+c_1x\), where \(c_i\in k\) for \(i=1,\dots,2g-1\). In the present paper the authors describe a normal form of such curve for any \(g\leq 8\) and also find the dimension of the locus of such curves in the moduli space of principally polarized abelian varieties. Some results for \(g=q\) are discussed in the final section.