Kloosterman sums and the \(p\)-torsion of certain Jacobians (Q807693)

Let \(p\) be a prime number and set \(q=p^ m\). Let \(X_{a,i}\) be the nonsingular algebraic curve over \(\mathbb F_ q\) with affine equation \(y^ p-y=ax+1/x+b_ i\), where \(a\in\mathbb F^*_ q\) and where \(b_ i\) is a fixed element of \(\mathbb F_ q\) with trace equal to \(i\in\mathbb F_ p\). It has long been known that the number of points of a curve of the above type is given by a Kloosterman sum and this has been used by Weil to deduce the classical estimate \((| K_ a| \leq 2\sqrt{q})\) on the absolute value of such Kloosterman sums. We study the isogeny decomposition of the Jacobians of these curves and the \(p\)-torsion of their class groups. We find that the decomposition is determined to a large extent by the strict inequality \(| K_ a| <2\sqrt{q}\). It turns out -- surprisingly -- that the \(p\)-torsion is related to the characteristic polynomial of \(a\in\mathbb F^*_ q\) with respect to \(\mathbb F_ p\). The question of the variation of the \(p\)-order of \({\#}\text{Jac}(X_{a,i}(\mathbb F_ q))\) and that of the number of isogeny factors arose in the context of coding theory [cf. \textit{R. Schoof} and \textit{M. van der Vlugt}, J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 57, No. 2, 163--186 (1991; Zbl 0729.11065) and the authors, J. Algebra 139, No. 1, 256--272 (1991; Zbl 0729.11066)]. The methods may also be used for other exponential sums such as multiple Kloosterman sums.