Tours ramifiées infinies de corps de classes. (Infinite ramified class field towers) (Q1814418)

The objective of the article is to obtain lower bounds for \(A(q)\) where \(A(q)\) is the upper limit for the quotient of the maximum number of rational points of an irreducible algebraic curve over the field \(F_ q\) divided by the genus. Here \(q=p^ n\) for a prime \(p\). \textit{V. G. Drinfel'd} and \textit{S. G. Vladut} [Funct. Anal. Appl. 17, 53-54 (1983); translation from Funkts. Anal. Prilozh. 17, No. 1, 68-69 (1983; Zbl 0522.14011)] have shown that \(A(q)\leq\sqrt{q}-1\). To an algebraic curve over \(F_ q\), one associates its field of functions \(k\). A rational point on the curve corresponds to a place of degree 1 in \(k\) and the field \(k\) has the same genus as the curve. Thus to obtain a lower bound for \(A_ q\) it is necessary to construct an infinite sequence of global fields \(\{k_ m\}\) of characteristic \(p\) such that the quotient of the number of places of degree 1 in \(k_ m\) divided by its genus is asymptotic to the bound. Beginning with a finite nonempty set of places \(S\) of \(k\), a prime number \(\ell\) and a modulus \(\mathfrak m\) of \(k\) which is relatively prime to \(S\) and \(\ell\), a sequence of fields \(\{k_ m\}\) is constructed where \(k_ 0=k\) and \(k_ m/k_{m-1}\) is a maximal class field of exponent 1 or \(\ell\) with conductor dividing \(m\) such that all places above \(S\) in \(k_{m-1}\) decompose completely in \(k_ n\). Let \(k_ \infty=\bigcup_{m\geq 0}k_ m\) and \(G=\hbox{Gal}(k_ \infty/k)\). Also, let \(d=\dim_{F_ \ell}(G^{ab}/(G^{ab})^ \ell)\) where \(G^{ab}\) is the abelianization of \(G\). The author conjectures that \(k_ \infty/k\) is infinite when \(d+| S| \leq d^ 2/4\). Assuming the conjecture is true, it is proved that \[ A(q)>{\sqrt{q+1}-2\over 2(p+1)}\hbox{ when }n\geq 2\hbox{ except for }q=4,8,9\hbox{ and }16. \] A slightly stronger bound is given when \(p\) is odd. The following unconditional bound is given when \(q>4\ell+1\). Let \(k\) denote the order of \(q\) modulo \(\ell\). If \(k=1\) then \[ A(q^{\ell})\geq {\sqrt{\ell(q-1)}-2\ell\over \ell-1} \] and if \(k\geq 2\) then \[ A(q^ k)\geq{\sqrt{\ell(q-1)}-2\ell\over \ell-1}. \]