The weight reduction of mod $p$ Siegel modular forms for $GSp_4$

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the (classical) weights of mod $p$ Siegel modular forms of degree 2 toward studying Serre's conjecture for $GSp_4$. We first construct various theta operators on the space of such forms a la Katz and define the theta cycles for the specific theta operators. Secondly we study the partial Hasse invariants on each Ekedahl-Oort strata and their local behaviors. This enable us to obtain a kind of weight reduction theorem for mod $p$ Siegel modular forms of degree 2 without increasing level.