On s-extremal Riemann surfaces of even genus

Abstract

We consider Riemann surfaces of even genus g with the action of the group mathcal {D}_ntimes mathbb {Z}_2, with n even. These surfaces have the maximal number of 4 non-conjugate symmetries and shall be called s-extremal. We show various results for such surfaces, concerning the total number of ovals, topological types of symmetries, hyperellipticity degree and the minimal genus problem. If in addition an s-extremal Riemann surface has the maximal total number of ovals, then it shall simply be called extremal. In the main result of the paper we find all the families of extremal Riemann surfaces of even genera, depending on if one of the symmetries is fixed-point free or not.