No label defined (Q3972631)

[For the entire collection see Zbl 0711.00011.] Let \(f:X\to B\) be a semi-stable curve of relative genus \(\geq 2\) over the ring of integers of a number field, and let \(\omega_{X/B}\) be its relative dualizing sheaf, endowed with its Arakelov metric. As an analogue of the Bogomolov-Miyaoka inequality for surfaces of general type, \textit{A. N. Parshin} [cf. Sémin. Théor. Nombres, Paris 1986-87, Prog. Math. 75, 299-312 (1988; Zbl 0706.14015)] has put forward a conjectural upper bound \(\text{BM}(X)\) for the Arakelov degree of the self-intersection \(e(X)\) of \(\omega_{X/B}\), and shown that the universal truth of \(\text{BM}(X)\) implies a sharpened version \(\text{SZ}(E)\) of a well-known conjecture of Szpiro, bounding the height of a semi-stable elliptic curve \(E\) over \(B\) by its conductor. In the present paper, the authors consider the case where \(X\) is a curve \(C\) of genus 2 covering \(E\). They make a close study of the Weierstrass sections of \(C\), and relate \(e(C)\) to the degree of their intersections [a similar relation, which holds for all curves of genus 2, is used by \textit{J.-B. Bost}, \textit{J.-F. Mestre} and \textit{L. Moret-Bailly} in Les princeaux de courbes elliptiques, Sémin., Paris/Fr. 1988, Astérisque 183, 69-105 (1990; Zbl 0731.14017) to show how cautious one must be in formulating \(\text{BM}\)]. The authors finally put forward a new conjecture of BM type, bounding \(e(X)\) in terms of the conductor of the jacobian of \(X\), and show that its truth for \(C\) itself suffices to imply \(\text{SZ}(E)\) as soon as the height of the \(j\)-invariant of \(E\) is given by its denominator. For a deduction of \(\text{SZ}(E)\) from other particular cases of \(\text{BM}(X)\), see also \textit{L. Moret-Bailly}, in the same cited seminar, Astérisque 183, 37-58 (1990; Zbl 0727.14015)].