The Weil Conjectures are one of the most beautiful theorems in mathematics. In the number field context zeta and L-functions are transcendental. It is well known, for example, that zeta(2)=pi^2/6. The values of these functions, even at integers, are not well understood. The Weil conjectures state the perhaps shocking result that the function field analogues of these functions are almost as simple as possible: they are rational functions. Further, they include the analogue of the Riemann Hypothesis for function fields. In this talk we will explore what the Weil conjectures say, as well as how they are proven.

In this talk, we present the family of generalized Hessian curves.

The family of generalized Hessian curves covers more isomorphism classes of elliptic curves than Hessian curves.

We provide efficient unified addition formulas for generalized Hessian curves. The formulas even feature completeness for suitably chosen curve parameters.

We also also present extremely fast addition formulas for generalized binary Hessian curves. The fastest projective addition formulas require $9\M+3\s$, where $\M$ is the cost of a field multiplication and $\s$ is the cost of a field squaring. Moreover, very fast differential addition and doubling formulas are provided that need only $5\M+4\s$ when the curve is chosen with small parameters.

We construct explicit genus 2 hyperelliptic curves whose Jacobian varieties have complex multiplication and are defined over an explicit algebraic number field. For these Jacobians, we give a formula for the number of points on their reductions modulo primes of good reduction. The construction and results can be viewed as a dimension 2 generalization of results of H. Stark. These formulas have application to cryptography and the CM method in dimension 2.