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Consider a finite morphism f:X -> Y of smooth projective varieties over a finite field k. Suppose X is the vanishing locus in projective N-space of at most r forms of degree at most d. We show there is a constant C, depending only on N, r,…

Let K be the function field of a connected regular scheme S of dimension 1, and let f : X -> Y be a finite cover of projective smooth and geometrically connected curves over K with g(X) greater or equal to 2. Suppose that f can be extended…

We give a construction of singular curves with many rational points over finite fields. This construction enables us to prove some results on the maximum number of rational points on an absolutely irreducible projective algebraic curve…

A smooth geometrically connected curve over the finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$ with gonality $\gamma$ has at most ${\gamma(q+1)}$ rational points. The first author and Grantham conjectured that there exist curves of every sufficiently large…

Given a smooth affine curve X over a field k of positive characteristic, and an overconvergent F-isocrystal on X, we prove after replacing k by a finite purely inseparable extension, there exists a finite separable cover of X, the pullback…

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…

A curve X over the field Q of rational numbers is modular if it is dominated by X_1(N) for some N; if in addition the image of its jacobian in J_1(N) is contained in the new subvariety of J_1(N), then X is called a new modular curve. We…

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…

Let $f : X \rightarrow Y$ be a generically smooth nonconstant morphism between irreducible projective curves, defined over an algebraically closed field, which is \'etale on an open subset of $Y$ that contains both the singular locus of $Y$…

We prove that if $C$ is a reflexive smooth plane curve of degree $d$ defined over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$ with $d\leq q+1$, then there is an $\mathbb{F}_q$-line $L$ that intersects $C$ transversely. We also prove the same result for…

Let X and Y be curves over a finite field. In this article we explore methods to determine whether there is a rational map from Y to X by considering L-functions of certain covers of X and Y and propose a specific family of covers to…

A projective, smooth, absolutely irreducible algebraic curve X of genus g defined over a finite field F_q is called optimal if for every other such genus g curve Y over F_q one has $\#Y(F_q)\le \#X(F_q)$. In this paper we show that for…

We produce a new family of polynomials f(x) over fields K of characteristic 2 which are exceptional, in the sense that f(x)-f(y) has no absolutely irreducible factors in K[x,y] besides the scalar multiples of x-y; when K is finite, this…

Let $X$ be an algebraic variety, defined over the rationals. This paper gives upper bounds for the number of rational points on $X$, with height at most $B$, for the case in which $X$ is a curve or a surface. In the latter case one excludes…

Suppose $Y$ is a smooth variety equipped with a top form. We prove a simple theorem giving a sharp lower bound on the geometric genus of a family of subvarieties of $Y$, in terms of the dimension of this family. Two elementary applications…

Given an integer $\gamma\geq 2$ and an odd prime power $q$ we show that for every large genus $g$ there exists a non-singular curve $C$ defined over $\mathbb{F}_q$ of genus $g$ and gonality $\gamma$ and with exactly $\gamma(q+1)$…

Let $\mathcal{X}$ be an irreducible algebraic curve defined over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$ of characteristic $p>2$. Assume that the $\mathbb{F}_q$-automorphism group of $\mathcal{X}$ admits as an automorphism group the direct product of…

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…

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…

Let $G$ be an affine algebraic group over an algebraically closed field $k$ of characteristic zero. In this paper, we consider finite $G$-equivariant morphisms $F:X\to Y$ of irreducible affine $G$-varieties. First we determine under which…