Counting the number of trigonal curves of genus 5 over finite fields (Q2196639)

Inside the moduli space \(\mathcal{M}_{5}\) of smooth curves of genus \(5\) there exists a subvariety \(\mathcal{T}_{5}\) parameterizing trigonal curves. A trigonal curve of genus \(5\) can be described by a projective plane quintic having one singularity of delta invariant one. Using this fact together with a partial sieve method for plane curves, the author counts the number \(|\mathcal{T}_{5}(\mathbb{F}_{q})|\) of trigonal curves of genus \(5\) over any finite field. More specifically, this paper proves the following main result: Theorem. The number of \(\mathbb{F}_{q}\)-isomorphism classes of smooth trigonal curves of genus \(5\) over a finite field \(\mathbb{F}_{q}\), weighted by the size of their \(\mathbb{F}_{q}\)-automorphism group, is given by \[ |\mathcal{T}_{5}(\mathbb{F}_{q})|=q^{11}+q^{10} -q^{8}+1. \] It is worth point out here that the previous result is a step toward the open problem of computing the cohomology of \(\overline{\mathcal{M}_{5}}\), the moduli space of stable curves of genus \(5\).