An extension of Kedlaya's algorithm for hyperelliptic curves (Q654037)

Let \(y^2=x^d+a_{d-1}x^{d-1}+\dots +a_0\) be the affine equation for an hyperelliptic curve \(C\) defined over a finite field \(\mathbb{F}_q\) of characteristic \(p\). Let \(g\) be the genus of \(C\), then \(C\) is \textit{odd} if \(d=2g+1\) (one \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-rational point at infinity) and \(C\) is \textit{even} if \(d=2g+2\) (two points at infinity which are \(\mathbb{F}_q\)-rational or conjugated over \(\mathbb{F}_{q^2}\,\)). Kedlaya's algorithm (which is recalled in this paper and originally described in \textit{K. S. Kedlaya} [J. Ramanujan Math. Soc. 16, No.~4, 323--338 (2001; Zbl 1066.14024)] and [Lecture Notes in Computer Science 3076, 1--17 (2004; Zbl 1125.14300)]) computes the numerator for the zeta function of an odd curve \(C\) using \(p\)-adic approximation for the action of the \(p\)-Frobenius on \(p\)-adic cohomology groups (the Monsky-Washnitzer cohomology). The paper deals with the computation for even curves, where the original algorithm might fail because the action of the Frobenius on the chosen basis for differentials is represented by a non integral matrix. The author switches from the original basis \(x^i(dx/y)\) to a new set \(x^i(dx/y^3)\) on which the Frobenius action is integral. This change does not affect the computation for the odd case (since the \(x^i(dx/y^3)\)'s still form a basis for the minus part of the cohomology groups), but it allows to compute a characteristic polynomial for the cohomology in the even case as well. In the latter case the map from the vector space generated by the \(x^i(dx/y^3)\)'s to the minus cohomology groups is not an isomorphism so the author concludes by computing the action of the Frobenius on the kernel and cokernel, providing factors \(t-1\) and \(t-q\) which can be eliminated from the characteristic polynomial to get the right numerator for the zeta function.