Curves with prescribed period and index over local fields (Q2382979)

Let \(Y\) be a curve over a field \(K\). The index \(I = I(Y)\) of \(Y\) is the smallest positive degree of \(K\)-rational divisors, and the period \(P = P(Y)\) is the smallest positive degree of \(K\)-rational divisor classes. \textit{S. Lichtenbaum} [Invent. Math. 7, 120--136 (1969; Zbl 0186.26402)] proved that if a curve \(Y\) of genus \(g\) is defined over a local field \(K\) then: (a) \(P| g-1\); (b) \(I=P\) or \(2P\); and (c) if \(I=2P\), then \((g-1)/P\) is odd. The author proves that if a triple of positive integers \((g,P,I)\) satisfies the above conditions (a), (b), (c), and \(K\) is a local field of characteristic \(\neq 2\), then there exists a curve \(Y\) over \(K\) of genus \(g\), period \(P\), and index \(I\). Such a curve is constructed as a degree 2 cover of a principal homogeneous space for an elliptic curve with split multiplicative reduction.