Models of Hyperelliptic Curves with Tame Potentially Semistable Reduction

Abstract

Let $C$ be a hyperelliptic curve $y^2 = f(x)$ over a discretely valued field $K$. The $p$-adic distances between the roots of $f(x)$ can be described by a completely combinatorial object known as the cluster picture. We show that the cluster picture of $C$, along with the leading coefficient of $f$ and the action of $\mathrm{Gal}(\bar{K}/K)$ on the roots of $f$, completely determines the combinatorics of the special fibre of the minimal strict normal crossings model of $C$. In particular, we give an explicit description of the special fibre in terms of this data.