Canonical models of modular curves and the Galois action on CM-points

Abstract

We use the theory of canonical models of Shimura varieties to describe the projective limit of the curves Y(N), all N, and its automorphism group. In particular we prove that the Galois group of Q(CM) over Q is an extension of a certain abelian group by a 2-element group, where Q(CM) stands for the the extension of Q by all the CM-points on all the curves Y(N).