On the averages of generalized Hasse–Witt invariants of pointed stable curves in positive characteristic

Abstract

In the present paper, we study fundamental groups of curves in positive characteristic. Let $$X^{\bullet }$$ be a pointed stable curve of type $$(g_{X}, n_{X})$$ over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $$p>0$$, $$\Gamma _{X^{\bullet }}$$ the dual semi-graph of $$X^{\bullet }$$, and $$\Pi _{X^{\bullet }}$$ the admissible fundamental group of $$X^{\bullet }$$. In the present paper, we study a kind of group-theoretical invariant $$\text {Avr}_{p}(\Pi _{X^{\bullet }})$$ associated to the isomorphism class of $$\Pi _{X^{\bullet }}$$ called the limit of p-averages of $$\Pi _{X^{\bullet }}$$, which plays a central role in the theory of anabelian geometry of curves over algebraically closed fields of positive characteristic. Without any assumptions concerning $$\Gamma _{X^{\bullet }}$$, we give a lower bound and a upper bound of $$\text {Avr}_{p}(\Pi _{X^{\bullet }})$$. In particular, we prove an explicit formula for $$\text {Avr}_{p}(\Pi _{X^{\bullet }})$$ under a certain assumption concerning $$\Gamma _{X^{\bullet }}$$ which generalizes a formula for $$\text {Avr}_{p}(\Pi _{X^{\bullet }})$$ obtained by Tamagawa. Moreover, if $$X^{\bullet }$$ is a component-generic pointed stable curve, we prove an explicit formula for $$\text {Avr}_{p}(\Pi _{X^{\bullet }})$$ without any assumptions concerning $$\Gamma _{X^{\bullet }}$$, which can be regarded as an averaged analogue of the results of Nakajima, Zhang, and Ozman–Pries concerning p-rank of abelian etale coverings of projective generic curves for admissible coverings of component-generic pointed stable curves.