We prove the semisimplicity conjecture for A-motives over finitely generated fields K. This conjecture states that the rational Tate modules V𝔭(M) of a semisimple A-motive M are semisimple as representations of the absolute Galois group of K. This theorem is in analogy with known results for abelian varieties and Drinfeld modules, and has been sketched previously by Tamagawa. We deduce two consequences of the theorem for the algebraic monodromy groups G𝔭(M) associated to an A-motive M by Tannakian duality. The first requires no semisimplicity condition on M and states that G𝔭(M) may be identified naturally with the Zariski closure of the image of the absolute Galois group of K in the automorphism group of V𝔭(M). The second states that the connected component of G𝔭(M) is reductive if M is semisimple and has a separable endomorphism algebra.

We study Frobenius groups acting on curves.

Let X be a smooth complex projective surface and let C(X) denote the field of rational functions on X. In this paper, we prove that for any m > M(X), there exists a rational dominant map $f \colon X \to Y$, which is generically finite of degree m, into a complex rational ruled surface Y, whose monodromy is the alternating group Am. This gives a finite algebraic extension C(X): C(x1, x2) of degree m, whose normal closure has Galois group Am.