Coverings of singular curves over finite fields (Q1911188)

Suppose \(f:Y \to X\) is a finite morphism of smooth absolutely irreducible projective algebraic curves over a finite field \(k\). The Weil conjectures for curves [proven in \textit{A. Weil}, Sur les courbes algébriques et les variétés qui s'en déduisent, Hermann \& Cie, Paris (1948; Zbl 0061.06407)] show that then we have \(|\# Y(k)- \# X(k) |\leq 2 (g_Y - g_X) \sqrt \# k\), where \(g_X\) and \(g_Y\) are the geometric genera of the curves \(X\) and \(Y\), respectively. The authors of the present note prove a generalized version of this inequality that holds for certain maps between possibly-singular curves. Namely, they show that if \(f:Y\to X\) is a finite flat morphism of reduced absolutely irreducible projective algebraic curves over \(k\), then \[ \bigl|\# Y(k)- \# X(k) \bigr|\leq 2 (\pi_Y- \pi_X) \sqrt {\#k}, \] where \(\pi_X\) and \(\pi_Y\) denote the arithmetic genera of the curves \(X\) and \(Y\), respectively. They present some examples to show that their statement would be false without the hypothesis that \(f\) be flat, and they close with a quick application of their result to the estimation of character sums over finite fields.