Bounds for the number of rational points on curves over function fields (Q374055)

The authors prove an interesting upper bound on the number of rational points on a non-isotrivial curve \(X\) of genus at least two, over the function field of a curve \(C\) defined over a finite field of characteristic \(p\). In particular, the upper bound depends only on the genera of the two curves involved, the conductor \(f_{X/K}\) of the curve, the characteristic \(p\), and the inseparable degree of a certain canonical map from \(X\) to a moduli space. The simplest case of their main theorem states: (directly from the paper under review)NEWLINENEWLINETheorem 1.1. Let \(k\) be a finite field of cardinality \(q\) and characteristic \(p\), \(C\) a smooth, projective, geometrically connected curve defined over \(k\) of genus \(g\) and denote by \(K = k(C)\) its function field. Let \(X=K\) be a smooth, projective, geometrically connected curve defined over \(K\) of genus \(d\geq 2\). We suppose that \(X\) is nonisotrivial. If \(X\) is defined over \(K\), but not over \(K^p\), then the following inequality holds: NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\# X(K)\leq p^{2d\cdot (2g+1)+f_{X/K}}\cdot 3^d\cdot(8d-2)\cdot d!NEWLINE\]NEWLINE In particular, every quantity in the preceding theorem can be computed directly from the curve itself, and requires no input from the Jacobian of the curve or any model over the curve \(C\).