Sato-Tate Type Distributions for Matrix Points on Elliptic Curves and Some $K3$ Surfaces

Generalizing the problem of counting rational points on curves and surfaces over finite fields, we consider the setting of $n\times n$ matrix points with finite field entries. We obtain exact formulas for matrix point counts on elliptic curves and certain $K3$ surfaces for “supersingular” primes. These exact formulas, which involve partitions of integers up to $n$, essentially coincide with the expected value for the number of such points. Therefore, in analogy with the Sato-Tate conjecture, it is natural to study the distribution of the deviation from the expected values for all primes. We determine the limiting distributions for elliptic curves and a family of $K3$ surfaces. For non-CM elliptic curves with square-free conductor, our results are explicit.