Exercise 11.8

If f is a nonhomogeneous polynomial, we can consider the zeta function of the projective closure of the hypersurface defined by f (see Chapter 10). One way to calculate this is to count the number of points on H f ( F q ) and then add to it the number of points at infinity. For example, consider y 2 = x 3 over F p s . Show that there is one point at infinity. The origin ( 0 , 0 ) is clearly on this curve. If x ≠ 0 , write ( y ∕ x ) 2 = x and show that there are p s more points on this curve. Altogether we have p s points and the zeta function over F p is ( 1 − pu ) − 1 .

Answers

Proof. Consider the polynomial f ( x , y ) = y 2 − x 3 and g ( x , y ) = y 2 − x , and

Γ = H f ( F q ) = { ( x , y ) ∈ F p 2 ∣ y 2 = x 3 } , Γ 1 = H g ( F q ) = { ( x , y ) ∈ F q 2 ∣ y 2 = x } .

Then

φ { Γ ∖ { ( 0 , 0 ) } → Γ 1 ∖ { ( 0 , 0 ) } ( x , y ) ↦ ( x , y x )

is defined, since ( y x ) 2 = x for ( x , y ) ∈ Γ ∖ { ( 0 , 0 ) } , thus ( x , y x ) ∈ Γ 1 . Moreover

ψ { Γ 1 ∖ { ( 0 , 0 ) } → Γ ∖ { ( 0 , 0 ) } ( x , y ) ↦ ( x , xy )

is correctly defined, since for each ( x , y ) ∈ Γ 1 ∖ { ( 0 , 0 ) } , y 2 = x , then x ≠ 0 , thus ( xy ) 2 = x 3 , and ( x , xy ) ∈ Γ , where ( x , xy ) ≠ ( 0 , 0 ) .

Moreover ψ satisfies ψ ∘ φ = id , φ ∘ ψ = id :

( ψ ∘ φ ) ( x , y ) = ψ ( x , y x ) = ( x , x y x ) = ( x , y ) ( ( x , y ) ∈ Γ ∖ { ( 0 , 0 ) } ) , ( φ ∘ ψ ) ( x , y ) = φ ( x , xy ) = ( x , xy x ) = ( x , y ) ( ( x , y ) ∈ Γ 1 ∖ { ( 0 , 0 ) } ) .

So φ is a bijection. This shows that | Γ ∖ { ( 0 , 0 ) } | = | Γ 1 ∖ { ( 0 , 0 ) } | , where ( 0 , 0 ) ∈ Γ and ( 0 , 0 ) ∈ Γ 1 , thus

| Γ 1 | = | Γ | .

To count the points on Γ 1 , we consider

λ { F q → Γ 1 y ↦ ( y 2 , y ) .

Then λ is bijective, with inverse μ : ( x , y ) ↦ y . This show that

| Γ | = | Γ 1 | = q = p s .

Therefore the zeta function of the affine curve y 2 = x 3 over F p is

Z f ( u ) = ( 1 − pu ) − 1 .

But the projective closure H f ¯ ( F q ) of this curve has p s + 1 points, with only one point at infinity, since t y 2 = x 3 has only one point [ t , x , y ] satisfying t = 0 , the point [ 0 , 0 , 1 ] .

The zeta function of the curve with homogeneous equation f ¯ ( t , x , y ) = t y 2 − x 3 over F p is

Z f ¯ ( u ) = ( 1 − u ) − 1 ( 1 − pu ) − 1 .

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2022-07-19 00:00
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