Related papers: Maximal curves over finite fields and a modular is…

We describe an algorithm to compute the number of points over finite fields on a broad class of modular curves: we consider quotients $X_H/W$ for $H$ a subgroup of $\GL_2(\mathbb Z/n\mathbb Z)$ such that for each prime $p$ dividing $n$, the…

We study arithmetical and geometrical properties of maximal curves, that is, curves defined over the finite field F_{q^2} whose number of F_{q^2}-rational points reaches the Hasse-Weil upper bound. Under a hypothesis on non-gaps at a…

The Hasse-Weil-Serre bound is improved for curves of low genera over finite fields with discriminant in {-3,-4,-7,-8,-11,-19} by studying optimal curves.

Using an explicit family of plane quartic curves, we prove the existence of a genus 3 curve over any finite field of characteristic 3 whose number of rational points stays within a fixed distance from the Hasse-Weil-Serre upper bound. We…

A maximal curve over a finite field $\mathbb F_q$ is a curve whose number of points reaches the upper Hasse-Weil-Serre bound. We define the discriminant of $\mathbb F_q$ as $d(\mathbb F_q):= \lfloor2\sqrt{q}\rfloor^2-4q$, which arises as…

We study arithmetical and geometrical properties of {\it maximal curves}, that is, curves defined over the finite field $\mathbb F_{q^2}$ whose number of $\mathbb F_{q^2}$-rational points reachs the Hasse-Weil upper bound. Under a…

The defect of a curve over a finite field is the difference between the number of rational points on the curve and the Weil-Serre upper bound for the number of points on the curve. We present algorithms for constructing curves of genus 5,…

Motivated by previous computations in Garcia, Stichtenoth and Xing (2000) paper ,we discuss the spectrum $\mathbf{M}(q^2)$ for the genera of maximal curves over finite fields of order $q^2$ with $7\leq q\leq 16$. In particular, by using a…

In this survey, we discuss the problem of the maximum number of points of curves of genus 1,2 and 3 over finite fields

The genus of a maximal curve over a finite field with r^2 elements is either g_0=r(r-1)/2 or less than or equal to g_1=(r-1)^2/4. Maximal curves with genus g_0 or g_1 have been characterized up to isomorphism. A natural genus to be studied…

Previous results on genera g of F_{q^2}-maximal curves are improved: (1) Either g\leq (q^2-q+4)/6, or g=\lfloor(q-1)^2/4\rfloor, or g=q(q-1)/2; (2) The hypothesis on the existence of a particular Weierstrass point in \cite{at} is proved;…

Given an elliptic curve $E$ over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$ we study the finite extensions $\mathbb{F}_{q^n}$ of $\mathbb{F}_q$ such that the number of $\mathbb{F}_{q^n}$-rational points on $E$ attains the Hasse upper bound. We obtain an…

We give new arguments that improve the known upper bounds on the maximal number N_q(g) of rational points of a curve of genus g over a finite field F_q for a number of pairs (q,g). Given a pair (q,g) and an integer N, we determine the…

The Oesterl\'e bound shows that a curve of genus 8 over the finite field $\mathbb{F}_4$ can have at most 24 rational points, and Niederreiter and Xing used class field theory to show that there exists such a curve with 21 points. We improve…

We provide new upper bounds on N_q(g), the maximum number of rational points on a smooth absolutely irreducible genus-g curve over F_q, for many values of q and g. Among other results, we find that N_4(7) = 21 and N_8(5) = 29, and we show…

We show that for all finite fields F_q, there exists a curve C over F_q of genus 3 such that the number of rational points on C is within 3 of the Serre-Weil upper or lower bound. For some q, we also obtain improvements on the upper bound…

Let $n$ be an integer such that the modular curve $X_0(n)$ is hyperelliptic of genus $\ge2$ and such that the Jacobian of $X_0(n)$ has rank $0$ over $\mathbb Q$. We determine all points of $X_0(n)$ defined over quadratic fields, and we give…

We prove the following result which was conjectured by Stichtenoth and Xing: let $g$ be the genus of a projective, irreducible non-singular curve over the finite field $\Bbb F_{q^2}$ and whose number of $\Bbb F_{q^2}$-rational points…

We count the number of isogeny classes of Edwards curves over finite fields, answering a question recently posed by Rezaeian and Shparlinski. We also show that each isogeny class contains a {\em complete} Edwards curve, and that an Edwards…

We use class field theory to search for curves with many rational points over small finite fields. By going through abelian covers of curves of small genus we find a number of new curves. In particular, we settle the question of how many…