A census of genus 6 curves over $\mathbb{F}_2$

Abstract

We compile a complete list of isomorphism class representatives of curves of genus 6 over $\mathbb{F}_2$. We use explicit descriptions of canonical curves in each stratum of the Brill--Noether stratification of the moduli space $\mathcal{M}_6$, due to Mukai in the generic case. Our computed value of $\#\mathcal{M}_6(\mathbb{F}_2)$ agrees with the Lefschetz trace formula as recently computed by Bergstrom--Canning--Petersen--Schmitt.