Large \(p\)-groups of automorphisms of algebraic curves in characteristic \(p\) (Q527780)
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English | Large \(p\)-groups of automorphisms of algebraic curves in characteristic \(p\) |
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Large \(p\)-groups of automorphisms of algebraic curves in characteristic \(p\) (English)
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12 May 2017
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Let \(K\) denote an algebraically closed field of characteristic \(p \geq 3\) and \(\mathcal{X}\) be a (projective, non-singular, geometrically irreducible, algebraic) curve of genus \(g \geq 2\). The first results known on the maximum size of a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup \(S\) of the automorphism group \(\mathrm{Aut}(\mathcal{X})\) of \(\mathcal{X}\) over \(K\) date back to 1970, when it was described the role of \(S\) in the study of curves having an automorphism groups whose order exceeds the classical Hurwitz bound \(84(g-1)\). \textit{H. Stichtenoth} [Arch. Math. 24, 527--544 (1973; Zbl 0282.14006)] proved that if \(S\) fixes a point on \(\mathcal{X}\) (equivalently, a place of the function field \(K(\mathcal{X})\) of \(\mathcal{X}\)), then \[ |S| \leq \frac{p-1}{p} g,\tag{1} \] unless the extension \(K(\mathcal{X})| K(\mathcal{X})^S\), where \(K(\mathcal{X})^S\) denotes the fixed field of \(S\), completely ramifies at \(P\) and does not ramify elsewhere. Geometrically, \(S\) fixes a point \(P\) of \(\mathcal{X}\) and acts semiregularly on \(\mathcal{X} \setminus \{P\}\) [loc. cit.]. In the letter case, the Stichtenoth bound is \[ |S| \leq \frac{4p}{p-1} g^2. \] In his paper [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 303, 595--607 (1987; Zbl 0644.14010)], \textit{S. Nakajima} noted that the maximum size of \(S\) can also be related to the Hasse-Witt invariant \(\gamma\) of \(\mathcal{X}\). If \(S\) fixes a point and (1) fails, then \(\gamma=0\); conversely, if \(\gamma=0\) then \(S\) fixes a point on \(\mathcal{X}\). For \(\gamma>0\) Nakajima proved that \(|S|\) divides \(g-1\) when \(\gamma=1\) and \(|S| \leq \frac{p}{p-2}(\gamma-1)\) otherwise. Therefore, the Nakajima bound is \[ |S| \leq \begin{cases} \frac{p}{p-2} (g-1), \text{ for } \gamma \geq 2, \\ g-1, \text{ for } \gamma=1. \end{cases}\tag{2} \] A \textit{Nakajima extremal curve} is a curve \(\mathcal{X}\) with Hasse-Witt invariant \(\gamma \geq 2\) which attains the bound (2). An interesting problem is to determine the possibilities for \(\mathcal{X}\), \(g\) and \(S\) when either \(|S|\) is close to the bound (1) or to the bound (2). Curves close to the Nakajima bound, and in particular Nakajima extremal curves are investigated in this paper. The main results obtained are the following: Theorem. If \(|S| > \frac{p^2}{p^2-p-1} (g-1)\) then one of the following cases occurs: {\parindent=0.7cm \begin{itemize}\item[1.] \(\gamma=0\) and the extension \(K(\mathcal{X})| K(\mathcal{X})^S\) completely ramifies at a unique place, and does not ramify elsewhere. \item[2.] \(|S|=p\) and \(\gamma=g=p-1\). \item[3.] \(g=\gamma\) and \(\mathcal{X}\) is a Nakajima extremal curve. Moreover, \(K_(\mathcal{X})\) is an unramified Galois extension of a function field of a curve given in 2. There are exactly \(p-1\) subgroups \(M\) of \(S\) such that \(K(\mathcal{X})|K(\mathcal{X})^M\) is such a Galois extension. \end{itemize}} Theorem. In case 3 of the previous theorem, \(S\) is generated by two elements and if one of those \(p-1\) Galois extensions is abelian then \(S\) has maximal nilpotency class. If there are more than one such abelian extensions, then one of the following two cases occurs: {\parindent=0.7cm \begin{itemize}\item[--] \(g=p(p-2)+1\), \(|S|=p^2\) and \(S=C_p \times C_p\); \item[--] \(g=p^2(p-2)+1\), \(|S|=p^3\) and \(S \cong UT(3,p)\) where \(UT(3,p)\) is the group of all upper-triangular unipotent \(3 \times 3\) matrices over the field with \(p\) elements. \end{itemize}} Theorem. Let \(\mathcal{X}\) be a Nakajima extremal curve and \(S\) a Sylow \(p\)-subgroup of \(\mathrm{Aut}(\mathcal{X})\). Then either \(S\) is a normal subgroup of \(\mathrm{Aut}(\mathcal{X})\) and \(\mathrm{Aut}(\mathcal{X})\) is the semidirect product of \(S\) by a subgroup of a dihedral group of order \(2(p-1)\), or \(p=3\) and, for some subgroup \(M\) of \(S\) of index \(3\), \(M\) is a normal subgroup of \(\mathrm{Aut}(\mathcal{X})\) and \(\mathrm{Aut}(\mathcal{X})/M\) is isomorphic to a subgroup of \(\mathrm{GL}(2,3)\). Several infinite families of Nakajima extremal curves are then constructed with explicit equations.
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algebraic curves
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positive characteristic
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automorphism groups
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