On the size of the automorphism group of a plane algebraic curve (Q2376571)

Let \(K\) be an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic \(p\). Let \(\text{Aut}(\mathcal{X})\) be the automorphism group of a projective non-singular geometrically irreducible algebraic curve \(\mathcal{X}\) of genus \(g\geq2\). \textit{H. W. Henn} proved in [J. Reine Angew. Math. 302, 96--115 (1978; Zbl 0378.12011)] that \(\mathcal{X}\) is birationally equivalent to a Hermitian curve if \(|\text{Aut}(\mathcal{X})|>16g^3+24g^2+g\). In this paper, the authors prove this result for plane curves, with a better lower bound \(|\text{Aut}(\mathcal{X})|>3(g^2+g)\left(\sqrt{8g+1}+3\right)\). The ingredients of the paper are Hilbert's ramification theory, Stöhr-Voloch theory on Weierstrass points with respect to a base-point-free linear series and some results on finite groups, such as the Kantor-O'Nan-Seitz theorem.