Modular curves with many points over finite fields (Q6051041)

The paper under review consider quotient modular curves \(X_H/W\) for \(H\) a subgroup of \(\mathrm{GL}_2(\mathbb{Z}/N\mathbb{Z})\) such that for each prime \(p\) dividing \(N\), the subgroup \(H\) at \(p\) is either a Borel subgroup, a Cartan subgroup, or the normalizer of a Cartan subgroup of \(\mathrm{GL}_2(\mathbb{Z}/p^e)\), where \(W\) is any subgroup of the Atkin-Lehner involutions of \(X_H\). A key point for such \(X_H/W\) considered in the paper under review is that its Jacobian decomposition over \(\mathbb{Q}\) are characterized as products of Jacobians of quotient modular curves \(X_0(N)/W_N\) for certain subgroup \(W_N\) of Atkin-Lehner involutions of \(X_0(N)\). Such relation is described in \S 3 of the paper under review, which is a generalization of Chen's isogeny to all Cartan modular curves of composite level. After, they provide in \S4 an algorithm to compute the \(\mathbb{F}_{q}\)-points for such modular curves, where \(q=\ell^n\) with \((\ell,N)=1\). For a public code to compute such points (the authors did not make available in the paper under review) we recall that for \(X_0(N)/W_N\) there is an available code in Magma for computing the \(\mathbb{F}_{q}\)-points of \(X_0(N)/W_N\) in the references of \textit{F. Bars} et al. [Math. Comput. 92, No. 340, 895--929 (2023; Zbl 1509.11051)], see also another algorithm for computing \(\mathbb{F}_{q}\) of \(X_H\) in [\textit{J. Rouse} et al., Forum Math. Sigma 10, Paper No. e62, 63 p. (2022; Zbl 1499.14057)]. In \S5 of the paper under review, the authors describe the \(\mathbb{F}_{q}\)-points for \(X_H/W\) in terms of the trace of Hecke operators \(T_{\ell^n}\)'s. In particular with the estimation given in [\textit{A. Brumer}, in: Columbia University number theory seminar, New York, 1992. Paris: Société Mathématique de France. 41--68 (1995; Zbl 0851.11035)] of the trace \(T_k\circ w_m\) where \(w_m\) is an Atkin-Lehner, after by a result from [\textit{A. Brumer}, in: Columbia University number theory seminar, New York, 1992. Paris: Société Mathématique de France. 41--68 (1995; Zbl 0851.11035)] they derive an upper bound for the \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-points of certain quotient curves \(X_H/W\). Finally in \S 6 the authors present computational results that in such quotient modular curves obtain record-breaking curves for curves of fixed genus \(g\) defined over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) which improve the previously known lower bound for the maximum number of points over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) of a curve of genus \(g\) [\url{http://www.manypoints.org}]