A \(p\)-adic study of the Richelot isogeny with applications to periods of certain genus 2 curves (Q6116102)

The computation of \(p\)-adic periods of algebraic curves is a quite difficult task. In the case of curves with totally degenerate stable reduction, there is a theory of \(p\)-adic uniformisation with theta functions which could be used, although this is also quite intricate concerning explicit calculations. \textit{J. Teitelbaum} in his paper [J. Reine Angew. Math. 385, 117--151 (1988; Zbl 0636.14011)] contains explicit calculations using this approach. The authors of the article under review use an approach via the arithmetic-geometric mean (AGM) in genus 2 via the so-called Richelot isogeny, and prove that in this case, this isogeny can be used to replace the AGM approach by \textit{G. Henniart} and \textit{J.-F. Mestre} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 308, No. 13, 391--395 (1989; Zbl 0724.11061)] successfully applied in the genus 1 case. The curves of genus 2 considered in the article are totally degenerate of type B in Teitelbaum's classification. And the Richelot isogeny squares the \(p\)-adic half-periods (Theorem 5.2). This leads to a sequence of quadratically convergent curves of type B (Proposition 5.4), and the authors suggest that this may lead to a quadratically convergent method for computating \(p\)-adic periods of such curves. However, this requires an explicit \(p\)-adic Tate uniformisation in genus 2. The article begins with explaining the AGM method and reviews its known application to the genus 1 case, where for a Tate curve the AGM isogeny doubles the \(p\)-adic periods. Because of the explicit nature of the Tate uniformisation, a repeated AGM isogeny application leads to an approximation of periods up to order \(q^{2^n}\), where \(q\) is the tate parameter of the Tate elliptic curve. They also remark that this leads to a computation method for tiny Coleman integrals. The remainder of the paper is devoted to developing the \(p\)-adic Richelot isogeny method and the task of approximating \(p\)-adic periods of genus 2 curves of type B, ending with a comparison with Teitelbaum on the modular curve \(X_0(23)\), a genus 2 curve of type B. The reviewer suggests to the authors to investigate the suitability of Lothar Gerritzen's uniformisation approach in genus 2, as described in [\textit{L. Gerritzen}, Math. Ann. 270, 381--392 (1985; Zbl 0535.14016)] because it is fairly explicit, and to check if this allows the verification of the authors' suggestion towards an explicit computation of \(p\)-adic periods in genus 2.