In this paper we study genus 2 curves whose Jacobians admit a polarized
(4,4)-isogeny to a product of elliptic curves. We consider base fields of
characteristic different from 2 and 3, which we do not assume to be
algebraically closed. We obtain a full classification of all principally
polarized abelian surfaces that can arise from gluing two elliptic curves along
their 4-torsion and we derive the relation their absolute invariants satisfy.
As an intermediate step, we give a general description of Richelot isogenies
between Jacobians of genus 2 curves, where previously only Richelot isogenies
with kernels that are pointwise defined over the base field were considered.
Our main tool is a Galois theoretic characterization of genus 2 curves
admitting multiple Richelot isogenies.Comment: 30 page