The Newton polygon of plane curves with many rational points (Q5926311)

The paper studies some problems that have to do with a method proposed by \textit{J. Justesen}, \textit{K. J. Larsen}, \textit{H. E. Jensen}, \textit{A. Havemose} and \textit{T. Høholdt} [IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 35, No. 4, 811-821 (1989; Zbl 0684.94017)] to build plane curves over a finite field \(\mathbb{F}_q\) with many rational points (compared to the genus). Let \(X\) be a non-singular projective curve defined over the finite field \(\mathbb{F}_q\). Given \(n\) rational points of \(X\) the very well-known construction of Goppa provides an algebraic-geometric error-correcting code of length \(n\). Fixed \(g\) the value \(N_q(g)\), maximum number of \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-rational points of a projective curve over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) of genus \(g\), it is not known in general (although upper bounds are known). Curves with a number of rational points approaching \(N_q(g)\) and in particular the so-called maximal curves, reaching the Hasse-Weil bound, have interest in order to the construction of good algebraic-geometric codes [see for instance \textit{M. A. Tsfasman} and \textit{S. G. Vladut}: ``Algebraic-geometric codes'', Transl. from Russian, Math. Appl., Sov. Ser. 58 (1991; Zbl 0727.94007)]. Notice however that the present paper does not try (at least explicitly) with error-correcting codes. The method above mentioned provides, starting from a polynomial \(f(T)\) with coefficients in \(\mathbb{F}_q\), plane curves of equation \(F(X,Y)\) with a lower bound for the number of rational points. The curve \(F(X,Y)\) is usually reducible and singular and its genus is not easy to calculate. The present paper tries to clarify two problems: to give conditions that assure that the polynomial \(F(X,Y)\) is absolutely irreducible and to determine the genus of the corresponding plane curve. The fundamental tool is the Newton polygon of the polynomial \(F(X,Y)\). In the particular case \(f(T)\) is a trinomial the authors completely solve both problems: Proposition 2.10 gives a criterion of irreducibility and section 6 gives a complete classification (up to birational equivalence) of the curves obtained from a given \(f(T)\). -- In the final section of the paper the authors apply their results to several polynomials \(f(T)\) and fields \(\mathbb{F}_q\), obtaining examples of curves with many rational points (reaching the best lower bounds for \(N_q(g))\). Some of the results allow them to correct some errors in the literature on the calculation of the genus and the number of points. The paper is well written and the arguments used can be easily understood for any reader with a moderate knowledge of algebraic geometry.