Zeta functions of totally ramified \(p\)-covers of the projective line (Q879735)

Summary: In this paper we prove that there exists a Zariski dense open subset \(U\) defined over the rationals \(\mathbb Q\) in the space of all one-variable rational functions with arbitrary \(k\) poles of prescribed orders, such that for every geometric point \(f\) in \(U(\bar\mathbb Q)\), the \(L\)-function of the exponential sum of \(f\) at a prime \(p\) has Newton polygon approaching the Hodge polygon as \(p\) approaches infinity. As an application to algebraic geometry, we prove that the \(p\)-adic Newton polygon of the zeta function of a \(p\)-cover of the projective line totally ramified at arbitrary \(k\) points of prescribed orders has an asymptotic generic lower bound.