The distribution of class groups of function fields (Q2576930)

The author gives for some general families of curves over a finite field \({\mathbb F}_ q\) and a finite elementary abelian \(\ell\)-group \(H\) with \(\ell\) odd and relatively prime to \(q\), an explicit formula for the proportion of curves \(C\) such that \(\roman {Jac}(C)[\ell]({\mathbb F} _ q) \cong H\). Here \(\roman {Jac}(C)[\ell]({\mathbb F}_ q)\) denotes the \(\ell\)-torsion of the Jacobian of \(C\) over \({\mathbb F}_ q\). The main result of the paper, Theorem 3.1, establishes the general statement for any abelian \(\ell\)-group \(H\) and in particular for the special case where \(H\) is an elementary abelian \(\ell\)-group. The main tools are calculations in the symplectic group \(\roman {Sp} _ {2g}({\mathbb F}_ q)\) and a result of \textit{N. M. Katz} and \textit{P. Sarnak} [Random matrices, Frobenius eigenvalues, and monodromy, Colloquium Publications. 45. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (1999; Zbl 0958.11004)] that shows that some Frobenius elements are equidistributed in the monodromy group. In the last section, the paper concludes with some examples. It recovers results of \textit{H. W. Lenstra jun.} [Ann. Math. (2) 126, 649--673 (1987; Zbl 0629.10006)]; justifies a heuristic used by \textit{E.-U. Gekeler} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2003, No. 37, 1999--2018 (2003; Zbl 1104.11033)]; improves results of \textit{D. A. Cardon} and \textit{M. Ram Murty} [Can. Math. Bull. 44, No. 4, 398--407 (2001; Zbl 0999.11069)]; and discusses a conjecture of \textit{E. Friedman} and \textit{L. C. Washington} [Théorie des nombres, C. R. Conf. Int., Quebec/Can. 1987, 227--239 (1989; Zbl 0693.12013)]. In particular, the author compares the predictions of Friedman and Washington to the result of Theorem 3.1 and this turns out to be incompatible with the conjecture of Friedman and Washington.