arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Leonardo Zapponi.
This short paper is concerned with polynomial Pell equations \[P^2-DQ^2=1,\] with $P,Q,D\in\Bbb C[X]$ and ${deg}(D)=2$. The main result shows that the polynomials $P$ and $Q$ are closely related to Chebyshev polynomials. We then investigate the existence of such polynomials in $\Bbb Z[X]$ specializing to fixed solutions of ordinary Pell equations over the integers.
In this paper, we define Euclidean minima for function fields and give some bound for this invariant. We furthermore show that the results are analogous to those obtained in the number field case.
We discuss two elementary constructions for covers with fixed ramification in positive characteristic. As an application, we compute the number of certain classes of covers between projective lines branched at 4 points and obtain information on the structure of the Hurwitz curve parametrizing these covers.
Let E be the supersingular elliptic curve defined over k, the algebraic closure of the finite field with two elements, which is unique up to k-isomorphism. Denote by 0 its identity element and let C be the quotient of E-{0} under the action of the group Isom(E) (which is non-abelian, of order 24). The main result of this paper asserts that the set C(k) naturally parametrizes k-isomorphism classes of Lamé covers, which are tamely ramified covers of the projective line unramified outside three points having a particular ramification datum. This fact is surprising for two reasons: first of all, it is the first non-trivial example of a family of covers of the projective line unramified outside three points which is parametrized by the geometric points of a curve. Moreover, when considered in arbitrary characteristic, the explicit construction of Lamé covers is quite involved and their arithmetic properties still remain misterious. The simplicity of the problem in characteristic 2 has many deep consequences when combined with lifting techniques from positive characteristic to characteristic 0. As an illustration, we obtain some sharp statements concerning the (local) Galois action, as, for example, a bound on the number of isomorphism classes of Lamé covers defined over a fixed number field, only depending on the degree of the residual extension at 2. Finally, in the appendix we give a partial generalization of these results by showing that, for any positive integer g, the k-rational points of a suitable quotient of a genus g hyperelliptic curve parametrize k-isomorphism classes of tamely ramified covers of the projective line unramified outside three points.
Belyi's theorem asserts that a smooth projective curve $X$ defined over a number field can be realized as a cover of the projective line unramified outside three points. In this short paper we investigate the bejaviour of the minimal degree of such a cover. More precisely, we start by defining the absolute Belyi degree of X, which only depends on the $\bar{\bold Q}$-isomorphism class of $X$. We then give a lower bound of this invariant, only depending on the stable primes of bad reduction (as defined in the paper) and we show that this bound is sharp. In the second part of the paper, we introduce the relative Belyi degree of a curve X defined over a fixed number field $K$. We first prove that there exist finitely many $K$-isomorphism classes of curves of bounded (relative) Belyi degree and we then obtain a lower bound, only depending on the primes of bad reduction of the minimal regular model of $X$ over (the ring of integers of) $K$.
We prove existence and nonexistence results for certain differential forms in positive characteristic, called {\em good deformation data}. Some of these results are obtained by reduction modulo $p$ of Belyi maps. As an application, we solve the local lifting problem for groups with Sylow $p$-subgroup of order $p$.
Lame curves are a particular class of elliptic curves (with a torsion point attached to them) which naturally arise when studying Lame operators with finite monodromy. They can be realized as covers of the projective line unramified outside three points and can be defined over number fields. This paper investigates their p-adic properties. The main ingredient is formal/rigid geometry and in particular the use of p-adic theta functions. As a consequence, we can completely enumerate Lamé curves with bad reduction (by giving, among the others, the p-adic valuation of their j-invariant) and describe the (local) Galois action.
In this short note we introduce the Belyi degree of a number field K, which is the smallest degree of a dessin d'enfant having K as field of moduli. After the description of some general properties (for example, the fact that there exist finitely many number fields of bounded Belyi degree), we give a lower and an upper bound for such an invariant. We finally give some explicit examples for quadratic fields.
In this paper, we describe some arithmetic properties of Lame operators with finite dihedral projective monodromy. We take advantage of the deep link with Grothendieck's theory of dessins d'enfants. We focus more particularly on the case of projective monodromy of order 2p, where p is an odd prime number.
Let k be an algebraically closed field of positive characteristic. The goal of this paper is to characterize the proper smooth curves X/k of positive genus g equipped with a k-rational point P such that X¶can be realized as an etale cover of the affine line. A first elementary analysis shows that such a cover exists if and only if there exists an exact regular differential form on X having a unique zero at P (of order 2g-2). The main inconvenient of this approach is that it doesn't give any control on the degree of the cover. A finer investigation, essentially based on the duality between the Cartier operator and the Frobenius map allows to overcome this problem.
Let K be a complete field of unequal characteristics $(0,p)$. The aim of this paper is to describe the the semi-stable models for covers $\bold P^1_K@>>>\bold P^1_K$ of degree p, unramified outside $r\leq p$ points and totally ramified above one of them, under the assumption that the ramified locus has a particular reduction type (which always occurs if $r\leq4$). We are principally concerned with the minimal semi-stable models which separate the ramified fibers.
The object of this paper is the study of a class of dessins d'enfants, the so-called diameter four trees. These objects, first introduced by G. Shabat, can be considered as the simplest non trivial example of etale covers of the projective line minus three points. Their arithmetic properties are still mysterious, and their study can inspire the understanding of more general situations. Here, the main interest is devoted to the action of the absolute Galois group on these (isomorphism classes of) coverings. In particular, in many cases, we are able to distinguish Galois orbits and to describe the action of the decomposition groups. One other central result concerns the study of wild ramification, for which we show how to reduce to the tame case, and then deduce some detailed arithmetical informations.