Curves of genus 2 with split Jacobian

Abstract

We say that an algebraic curve has <italic>split jacobian</italic> if its jacobian is isogenous to a product of elliptic curves. If <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper X"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">X</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> is a curve of genus <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="2"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">2</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> , and <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="f colon upper X right-arrow upper E"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>f</mml:mi> <mml:mo>:</mml:mo> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false"> → </mml:mo> <mml:mi>E</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">f:X \to E</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> a map from <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper X"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">X</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> to an elliptic curve, then <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper X"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">X</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> has split jacobian. It is not true that a complement to <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper E"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>E</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">E</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> in the jacobian of <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper X"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">X</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> is uniquely determined, but, under certain conditions, there is a canonical choice of elliptic curve <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper E prime"> <mml:semantics> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>E</mml:mi> <mml:mo>′</mml:mo> </mml:msup> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">E’</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> and algebraic <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="f colon upper X right-arrow upper E prime"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>f</mml:mi> <mml:mo>:</mml:mo> <mml:mi>X</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false"> → </mml:mo> <mml:msup> <mml:mi>E</mml:mi> <mml:mo>′</mml:mo> </mml:msup> </mml:mrow> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">f:X \to E’</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> , and we give an algorithm for finding that curve. The construction works in any characteristic other than two. Applications of the algorithm are given to give explicit examples in characteristics <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="0"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mn>0</mml:mn> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">0</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> and <inline-formula content-type="math/mathml"> <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="3"> <mml:semantics> <mml:mn>3</mml:mn> <mml:annotation encoding="application/x-tex">3</mml:annotation> </mml:semantics> </mml:math> </inline-formula> .