Differential operators and hyperelliptic curves over finite fields

Abstract

Boix, De Stefani and Vanzo have characterized ordinary/supersingular elliptic curves over $\mathbb{F}_p$ in terms of the level of the defining cubic homogenous polynomial. We extend their study to arbitrary genus, in particular we prove that every ordinary hyperelliptic curve $\mathcal{C}$ of genus $g\geq 2$ has level $2$. We provide a good number of examples and raise a conjecture.