Towers of \(\mathrm{GL}(r)\)-type of modular curves (Q2272901)

The paper under review deals with the construction of Galois covers \(X^{r,k}(N)\) over \(X^{r,k}(1)= \mathbb{P}^1/K\) where \(K:=\mathbb{F}_q(T)\), with Galois group \(G(N)=\{\gamma\in \mathrm{GL}(r, A/(N))\mid \det(\gamma)\in \mathbb{F}_q^*\}/Z\), where \(Z\) is the group of \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-valued scalar matrices and where \(N\in A:=\mathbb{F}_q[T]\), \(N\neq 0\). These covers have rationality and ramification properties similar to those of classical modular curves \(X(N)\) over \(\mathbb{P}^1/\mathbb{Q}\). Let \({\mathbb C}_{\infty}\) be the completed algebraic closure of \(K_{\infty}= \mathbb{F}_q((1/T))\). The theory of Drinfeld \(A\)-modules of rank \(2\) provides modular curves \(X(N)/\mathbb{C}_{\infty}\) similar to those of classical elliptic modular curves. The cover \(X(N)\) of \(\mathbb{P}^1\) has Galois group \(G(N)=\{\gamma\in \mathrm{GL}(2, A/(N))\mid \det(\gamma)\in \mathbb{F}_q^*\}/Z\). These curves along with \(X_0(N), X_1(N),\ldots\) are called \textit{Drinfeld modular curves} and they provide abelian and non-abelian class field theory, Drinfeld modular forms and uniformization of elliptic curves. One application is the construction of good towers of algebraic curves over finite fields, that is, \[ \limsup_{n\to \infty}\frac{|\{\mathbb{F}_q\text{-rational points of }X_n\}|}{\text{genus of }X_n}>0. \] In [\textit{A. Bassa} et al., Mosc. Math. J. 15, No. 1, 1--29 (2015; Zbl 1383.11083)], Bassa, Beelen, Garcia and Stichtenoth constructed a tower of curves \((X_n^{s,t})_{n\in\mathbb{N}}\) where \(\gcd(s,t)=1\) and \(r=s+t\), such that \[ \limsup_{n\to \infty}\frac{|\{\mathbb{F}_{q^r} \text{-rational points on }X_n^{s,t}\}|}{\text{genus }(X_n^{s,t})}\geq C_q(s,t):=\frac{2(q^s-1)(q^t-1)}{q^s+q^t-2}. \] Motivated by these results the author constructs towers of modular-like curves \(X^r(N)\), \(r\geq 2\), similar to \(X(N)\) but with Galois group of \(\mathrm{GL} (r)\)-type instead of \(\mathrm{GL}(2)\)-type. In the paper are constructed certain curves \(X^{r,k}(N)\), \(r\geq 3, 1\leq k<r, \gcd(r,k)=1\), on the moduli schemes \(M^r(N)\) of Drinfeld \(A\)-modules of rank \(r\) supplied with a structure of level \(N\in A\), which have the desired properties. Some of the main results are the following. \begin{itemize} \item[(1)] Let \(X^{r,k}(N)\) be the modular curve that paramitrizes \(k\)-sparse Drinfeld \(A\)-modules of rank \(r\) (that is, curves of the type \(\phi_T=T+g_k\tau^k+g_r\tau^r\)) with a structure of level \(N\). Then \(X^{r,k}(N)\) is a connected, smooth, projective curve over \(\mathbb{C}_{\infty}\), it is a ramified Galois cover of \(X^{r,k}(1)=\mathbb{P}^1\) with group \(G(N)= \{\gamma\in \mathrm{GL}(r, A/(N))\mid \det(\gamma)\in \mathbb{F}_q^*\}/Z\), \(Z\) the group of \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-valued scalar matrices and the ramification at cusps has trivial second ramification groups. \item[(2)] The curve \(X_0^{r,k}(N)\) is defined over \(K\) and has good reduction at places \(\mathfrak{p}\) of \(A\) with \(\mathfrak{p} \nmid N\). \item[(3)] Let \(\{N_n\}_{n\in\mathbb{N}}\) be any sequence in \(A\) with \(\deg N_n\to \infty\) and \(N_n\) is coprime with \(\mathfrak{p}=(T-1)\), \(r\geq 3\) and let \(\bar{X}_0(N_n)\) be the reduction of \(X_0^{r,k}(N_n)\) at \(\mathfrak{p}\). Then \(\bar{X}_0(N_n)\) is defined over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) and \(\limsup_{n\to \infty}\frac{|\{\mathbb{F}_{q^r} \text{-rational points on }\bar{X}_0(N_n)\}|}{ \text{genus of }X_0^{r,k}(N_n)}\geq C_q(r-k,k)\). \end{itemize} The first eight sections are dedicated to the proof of (1). The proof of (2) is carried out in Section 10 and the proof of (3) in Section 12. The final section is devoted to concluding remarks, comments and guidelines for further research.