Zeta functions of a class of Artin-Schreier curves with many automorphisms

This paper describes a class of Artin-Schreier curves, generalizing results of Van der Geer and Van der Vlugt to odd characteristic. The automorphism group of these curves contains a large extraspecial group as a subgroup. Precise knowledge of this subgroup makes it possible to compute the zeta functions of the curves in the class over the field of definition of all automorphisms in the subgroup. As a consequence, we obtain new examples of maximal curves.