Vector bundles on p-adic curves and parallel transport

Abstract

We define functorial isomorphisms of parallel transport along etale paths for a class of vector bundles on a p-adic curve. All bundles of degree zero whose reduction is strongly semistable belong to this class. In particular, they give rise to representations of the algebraic fundamental group of the curve. This may be viewed as a partial analogue of the classical Narasimhan-Seshadri theory of vector bundles on compact Riemann surfaces.