On the distribution of Weierstrass points on irreducible rational nodal curves

Rational Nodal Curves with No Smooth Weierstrass Points

LetX denote the rational curve with n+1 nodes obtained from the Riemann sphere by identifying 0 with∞ and ζj with −ζj for j = 0, 1, . . . , n−1, where ζ is a primitive (2n)th root of unity. We show that if n is even, then X has no smooth Weierstrass points, while if n is odd, then X has 2n smooth Weierstrass points. C. Widland [14] showed that the rational curve with three nodes obtained from P...

Rational points on curves

Rational points on curves

2 Faltings’ theorem 15 2.1 Prelude: the Shafarevich problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2.2 First reduction: the Kodaira–Parshin trick . . . . . . . . . . . 17 2.3 Second reduction: passing to the jacobian . . . . . . . . . . . 19 2.4 Third reduction: passing to isogeny classes . . . . . . . . . . . 19 2.5 Fourth reduction: from isogeny classes to `-adic representations 21 2.6 The isogen...

Rational Points on Curves

This is an extended version of an invited lecture I gave at the Journées Arithmétiques in St. Étienne in July 2009. We discuss the state of the art regarding the problem of finding the set of rational points on a (smooth projective) geometrically integral curve C over Q. The focus is on practical aspects of this problem in the case that the genus of C is at least 2, and therefore the set of rat...

On Weierstrass Points and Optimal Curves

We use Weierstrass Point Theory and Frobenius orders to prove the uniqueness (up to isomorphism) of some optimal curves. This paper continues the study, begun in [FT] and [FGT], of curves over finite fields with many rational points, based on Stöhr-Voloch’s approach [SV] to the Hasse-Weil bound by way of Weierstrass Point Theory and Frobenius orders. Some of the results were announced in [T]. A...