Modular curves of \(\mathcal{D}\)-elliptic sheaves are asymptotically optimal (Q935893)

\textit{V. G. Drinfel'd} and \textit{S. G. Vladut} [Funct. Anal. Appl. 17, 53--54 (1983); translation from Funkts. Anal. Prilozh. 17, No. 1, 68--69 (1983; Zbl 0522.14011)] proved that for a series \(\{C_i\}_{i\in \mathbb{N}}\) of smooth, projective, geometrically connected curves over \(\mathbb{F}_q\) with corresponding genera \(g_i\) such that \( \lim_{i\rightarrow \infty} g_i=\infty\), the following bound holds: \[ \limsup_{i\rightarrow \infty} \left( \frac{\#C_i(\mathbb{F}_q)}{g_i}\right)\leq \sqrt{q}-1. \] A series \(\{C_i\}_{i \in \mathbb{N}}\) that realizes the above bound is called asymptotically optimal. Examples of asymptotically optimal series are known only if \(q\) is square and for all examples known the curves \(C_i\) are one of the following types: Classical modular curves, classifying elliptic curves with level structure, Shimura curves or Drinfeld modular curves. The author expands this list by proving that the modular curves of \(\mathcal{D}\)-elliptic sheaves (with appropriate level structure) produce asymptotically optimal curves over \(\mathbb{F}_q\), when \(q\) is a square. Modular curves of \(\mathcal{D}\)-elliptic sheaves were introduced by \textit{G. Laumon, M. Rapoport} and \textit{U. Stuhler} in [Invent. Math. 113, No. 2, 217--338 (1993; Zbl 0809.11032)] and are the function field analogues of Shimura curves, therefore they form a natural final entry in the above list.