On the variation of Tate-Shafarevich groups of elliptic curves over hyperelliptic curves

Let E be an elliptic curve over F=F_q(t) having conductor (p)·∞, where (p) is a prime ideal in F_q[t]. Let d∈F_q[t] be an irreducible polynomial of odd degree, and let . Assume (p) remains prime in K. We prove the analogue of the formula of Gross for the special value L(E⊗_FK,1). As a consequence, we obtain a formula for the order of the Tate-Shafarevich group Ш(E/K) when L(E⊗_FK,1)≠0.     

Distribution of Selmer groups of quadratic twists of a family of elliptic curves

We study the distribution of the size of the Selmer groups arising from a 2-isogeny and its dual 2-isogeny for quadratic twists of elliptic curves with full 2-torsion points in Q. We show that one of these Selmer groups is almost always bounded, while the 2-rank of the other follows a Gaussian distribution. This provides us with a small Tate-Shafarevich group and a large Tate-Shafarevich group. When combined with a result obtained by Yu [G. Yu, On the quadratic twists of a family of elliptic curves, Mathematika 52 (1-2) (2005) 139-154 (2006)], this shows that the mean value of the 2-rank of the large Tate-Shafarevich group for square-free positive integers n less than X is , as X→∞.     

Complete classification of torsion of elliptic curves over quadratic cyclotomic fields

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In a previous paper Najman (in press) [9], the author examined the possible torsions of an elliptic curve over the quadratic fields Q(i) and . Although all the possible torsions were found if the elliptic curve has rational coefficients, we were unable to eliminate some possibilities for the torsion if the elliptic curve has coefficients that are not rational. In this note, by finding all the points of two hyperelliptic curves over Q(i) and , we solve this problem completely and thus obtain a classification of all possible torsions of elliptic curves over Q(i) and .

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For a video summary of this paper, please click here or visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPhCkJTGB_o.     

Height difference bounds for elliptic curves over number fields

Let E be an elliptic curve over a number field K. Let h be the logarithmic (or Weil) height on E and be the canonical height on E. Bounds for the difference are of tremendous theoretical and practical importance. It is possible to decompose as a weighted sum of continuous bounded functions Ψ_υ:E(K_υ)→R over the set of places υ of K. A standard method for bounding , (due to Lang, and previously employed by Silverman) is to bound each function Ψ_υ and sum these local ‘contributions’.In this paper, we give simple formulae for the extreme values of Ψ_υ for non-archimedean υ in terms of the Tamagawa index and Kodaira symbol of the curve at υ.For real archimedean υ a method for sharply bounding Ψ_υ was previously given by Siksek [Rocky Mountain J. Math. 25(4) (1990) 1501]. We complement this by giving two methods for sharply bounding Ψ_υ for complex archimedean υ.     

Higher Heegner points on elliptic curves over function fields

Let E be a modular elliptic curve defined over a rational function field k of odd characteristic. We construct a sequence of Heegner points on E, defined over a -tower of finite extensions of k, and show that these Heegner points generate a group of infinite rank. This is a function field analogue of a result of Cornut and Vatsal.     

On the modularity of supersingular elliptic curves over certain totally real number fields

We study generalisations to totally real fields of the methods originating with Wiles and Taylor and Wiles [A. Wiles, Modular elliptic curves and Fermat's Last Theorem, Ann. of Math. 141 (1995) 443-551; R. Taylor, A. Wiles, Ring-theoretic properties of certain Hecke algebras, Ann. of Math. 141 (1995) 553-572]. In view of the results of Skinner and Wiles [C. Skinner, A. Wiles, Nearly ordinary deformations of irreducible residual representations, Ann. Fac. Sci. Toulouse Math. (6) 10 (2001) 185-215] on elliptic curves with ordinary reduction, we focus here on the case of supersingular reduction. Combining these, we then obtain some partial results on the modularity problem for semistable elliptic curves, and end by giving some applications of our results, for example proving the modularity of all semistable elliptic curves over .     

Proof of an exceptional zero conjecture for elliptic curves over function fields

Based on the analogy between number fields and function fields of one variable over finite fields, we formulate and prove an analogue of the exceptional zero conjecture of Mazur, Tate and Teitelbaum for elliptic curves defined over function fields. The proof uses modular parametrization by Drinfeld modular curves and the theory of non-archimedean integration. As an application we prove a refinement of the Birch-Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture if the analytic rank of the elliptic curve is zero.     

Torsion points on elliptic curves over function fields and a theorem of Igusa

If F   is a global function field of characteristic p>3$p>3$, we employ Tate's theory of analytic uniformization to give an alternative proof of a theorem of Igusa describing the image of the natural Galois representation on torsion points of non-isotrivial elliptic curves defined over F. Along the way, using basic properties of Faltings heights of elliptic curves, we offer a detailed proof of the function field analogue of a classical theorem of Shafarevich according to which there are only finitely many F-isomorphism classes of admissible elliptic curves defined over F with good reduction outside a fixed finite set of places of F. We end the paper with an application to torsion points rational over abelian extensions of F.     

On the low-lying zeros of Hasse-Weil L-functions for elliptic curves

In this paper, we obtain an unconditional density theorem concerning the low-lying zeros of Hasse-Weil L-functions for a family of elliptic curves. From this together with the Riemann hypothesis for these L-functions, we infer the majorant of 27/14 (which is strictly less than 2) for the average rank of the elliptic curves in the family under consideration. This upper bound for the average rank enables us to deduce that, under the same assumption, a positive proportion of elliptic curves have algebraic ranks equaling their analytic ranks and finite Tate-Shafarevich group. Statements of this flavor were known previously [M.P. Young, Low-lying zeros of families of elliptic curves, J. Amer. Math. Soc. 19 (1) (2005) 205-250] under the additional assumptions of GRH for Dirichlet L-functions and symmetric square L-functions which are removed in the present paper.     

A procedure to calculate torsion of elliptic curves over ℚ

We present an algorithm which uses the analytic parameterization of elliptic curves to rapidly calculate torsion subgroups, and calculate its running time. This algorithm is much faster than the “traditional” Lutz-Nagell algorithm used by most computer algebra systems to calculate torsion subgroups. This article was processed by the author using the T_EX style filePjour1g from Springer-Verlag     

The number of elliptic curves over ℚ with conductorNwith conductorN

We prove that the number of elliptic curves E/ℚ with conductorN isO(N ^1/2+ε). More generally, we prove that the number of elliptic curves E/ℚ with good reduction outsideS isO(M ^1/2+ε), whereM is the product of the primes inS. Assuming various standard conjectures, we show that this bound can be improved toO(M ^c/loglogM ). Research partially supported by NSF DMS-9424642.     

On ring class eigenspaces of Mordell-Weil groups of elliptic curves over global function fields

If E is a non-isotrivial elliptic curve over a global function field F of odd characteristic we show that certain Mordell-Weil groups of E have 1-dimensional χ-eigenspace (with χ a complex ring class character) provided that the projection onto this eigenspace of a suitable Drinfeld-Heegner point is non-zero. This represents the analogue in the function field setting of a theorem for elliptic curves over Q due to Bertolini and Darmon, and at the same time is a generalization of the main result proved by Brown in his monograph on Heegner modules. As in the number field case, our proof employs Kolyvagin-type arguments, and the cohomological machinery is started up by the control on the Galois structure of the torsion of E provided by classical results of Igusa in positive characteristic.     

Thue equations and torsion groups of elliptic curves

A new characterization of rational torsion subgroups of elliptic curves is found, for points of order greater than 4, through the existence of solution for systems of Thue equations.     

Torsion bounds for elliptic curves and Drinfeld modules

We derive upper bounds on the number of L-rational torsion points on a given elliptic curve or Drinfeld module defined over a finitely generated field K, as a function of the degree [L:K]. Our main tool is the adelic openness of the image of Galois representations, due to Serre, Pink and Rütsche. Our approach is to prove a general result for certain Galois modules, which applies simultaneously to elliptic curves and to Drinfeld modules.     

On the indices of curves over local fields

Fix a non-negative integer g and a positive integer I dividing 2g − 2. For any Henselian, discretely valued field K whose residue field is perfect and admits a degree I cyclic extension, we construct a curve C _/K of genus g and index I. This is obtained via a systematic analysis of local points on arithmetic surfaces with semistable reduction. Applications are discussed to the corresponding problem over number fields.     

Pesenti-Szpiro inequality for optimal elliptic curves

We study Pesenti-Szpiro inequality in the case of elliptic curves over F_q(t) which occur as subvarieties of Jacobian varieties of Drinfeld modular curves. In general, we obtain an upper-bound on the degrees of minimal discriminants of such elliptic curves in terms of the degrees of their conductors and q. In the special case when the level is prime, we bound the degrees of discriminants only in terms of the degrees of conductors. As a preliminary step in the proof of this latter result we generalize a construction (due to Gekeler and Reversat) of 1-dimensional optimal quotients of Drinfeld Jacobians.     

Hasse principle for classical groups over function fields of curves over number fields

In (Letter to J.-P. Serre, 12 June 1991) Colliot-Thélène conjectures the following: Let F be a function field in one variable over a number field, with field of constants k and G be a semisimple simply connected linear algebraic group defined over F. Then the map has trivial kernel, denoting the set of places of k.The conjecture is true if G is of type 1A∗, i.e., isomorphic to SL₁(A) for a central simple algebra A over F of square free index, as pointed out by Colliot-Thélène, being an immediate consequence of the theorems of Merkurjev-Suslin [S1] and Kato [K]. Gille [G] proves the conjecture if G is defined over k and F=k(t), the rational function field in one variable over k. We prove that the conjecture is true for groups G defined over k of the types 2A∗, B_n, C_n, D_n (D₄ nontrialitarian), G₂ or F₄; a group is said to be of type 2A∗, if it is isomorphic to SU(B,τ) for a central simple algebra B of square free index over a quadratic extension k′ of k with a unitary k′|k involution τ.     

A lower bound for the canonical height on elliptic curves over abelian extensions

Let E/K be an elliptic curve defined over a number field, let ? be the canonical height on E, and let K^ab/K be the maximal abelian extension of K. Extending work of M. Baker (IMRN 29 (2003) 1571-1582), we prove that there is a constant C(E/K)>0 so that every nontorsion point P∈E(K^ab) satisfies .     

On elliptic units and p-adic Galois representations attached to elliptic curves

Let K be a quadratic imaginary number field with discriminant D_K≠-3,-4 and class number one. Fix a prime p?7 which is not ramified in K and write h_p for the class number of the ray class field of K of conductor p. Given an elliptic curve A/K with complex multiplication by K, let be the representation which arises from the action of Galois on the Tate module. Herein it is shown that if then the image of a certain deformation of is “as big as possible”, that is, it is the full inverse image of a Cartan subgroup of SL(2,Z_p). The proof rests on the theory of Siegel functions and elliptic units as developed by Kubert, Lang and Robert.