No label defined (Q4941228)

The authors study geometric properties of maximal curves over \({\mathbb F}_{q^2}\) having classical Weierstrass gaps. A maximal curve \(X\) over \({\mathbb F}_{q^2}\) is a projective, geometrically irreducible, nonsingular algebraic curve, whose set of \({\mathbb F}_{q^2}\)-rational points attains the Hasse-Weil bound: \[ \# X({\mathbb F}_{q^2})=q^2+1+2gq. \] For a maximal curve \(X,\) let \(P\in X({\mathbb F}_{q^2})\) and \({\mathcal D}=| (q+1)P| .\) The authors investigate the interplay between the canonical divisor and \(\mathcal D\) via Stöhr-Voloch's approach to the Hasse-Weil bound. They prove that the support of the \({\mathbb F}_{q^2}\)-Frobenius divisor associated with \(\mathcal D\) is contained in the union of the Weierstrass points (for the canonical divisor) and the set \(X({\mathbb F}_{q^2}).\) When the curves have classical Weierstrass gaps they show that this is an equality. The paper contains a number of examples of maximal curves with classical Weierstrass gaps. They conclude with an interesting remark and condition concerning maximal curves over \({\mathbb F}_{q^2}\) for which each rational point is not a Weierstrass point. This suggests closer investigation in the case when \(g>1.\) For the entire collection see [Zbl 0930.00039].