Decomposed Richelot isogenies of Jacobian varieties of curves of genus 3 (Q2236064)

Let \(C\) be a non-singular projective curve of genus \(g\) defined over an algebraically closed field of characteristic different from 2, and let \(JC\) denote its Jacobian variety. Let \((A,D)\) be a principally polarised abelian variety of dimension \(g.\) An isogeny \(f : JC \to A\) is called a Richelot isogeny if \(2\Theta\) and \(f^*(D)\) are algebraically equivalent, where \(\Theta\) is the canonical principal polarisation of \(JC.\) The article under review provides a necessary and sufficient condition under which there exists a so-called \textit{decomposed} Richelot isogeny of \(JC\), in the case that the genus of \(C\) is three. This condition is given in terms on the existence of a special kind of involution of \(C\), termed \textit{long}. The arguments and the explicit decompositions split naturally into two cases, according to whether or not the curve is hyperelliptic.