On curves of genus 2 with Jacobian of GL2-type

Ribet [Ri] has generalized the conjecture of Shimura–Taniyama–Weil to abelian varieties defined over Q,giving rise to the study of abelian varieties of GL₂-type. In this context, all curves over Q of genus one have Jacobian variety of GL₂-type. Our aim in this paper is to begin with the analysis of which curves of genus 2 have Jacobian variety of GL₂-type. To this end, we restrict our attention to curves with rational Rosenhain model and non-abelian automorphism group, and use the embedding of this group into the endomorphism algebra of its Jacobian variety to determine if it is of GL₂-type. Received: 31 March 1998 / Revised version: 29 June 1998     

Finding rational points on bielliptic genus 2 curves

We discuss a technique for trying to find all rational points on curves of the form Y ²=f ₃ X ⁶+f ₂ X ⁴+f ₁ X ²+f ₀, where the sextic has nonzero discriminant. This is a bielliptic curve of genus 2. When the rank of the Jacobian is 0 or 1, Chabauty's Theorem may be applied. However, we shall concentrate on the situation when the rank is at least 2. In this case, we shall derive an associated family of elliptic curves, defined over a number field ℚα. If each of these elliptic curves has rank less than the degree of ℚα : ℚ, then we shall describe a Chabauty-like technique which may be applied to try to find all the points (x,y) defined over ℚα) on the elliptic curves, for which x∈ℚ. This in turn allows us to find all ℚ-rational points on the original genus 2 curve. We apply this to give a solution to a problem of Diophantus (where the sextic in X is irreducible over ℚ), which simplifies the recent solution of Wetherell. We also present two examples where the sextic in X is reducible over ℚ. Received: 27 November 1998 / Revised version: 4 June 1999     

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. Received: 7 August 1997 / Revised version: 28 November 1997     

Small maximal pro-p Galois groups

For an odd prime p we classify the pro-p groups of rank ≤ 4 which are realizable as the maximal pro-p Galois group of a field containing a primitive root of unity of order p. Received: 2 September 1997     

On the flatness of models of certain Shimura varieties of PEL-type

Consider a PEL-Shimura variety associated to a unitary group that splits over an unramified extension of . Rapoport and Zink have defined a model of the Shimura variety over the ring of integers of the completion of the reflex field at a place lying over p, with parahoric level structures at p. We show that this model is flat, as conjectured by Rapoport and Zink, and that its special fibre is reduced. Received: 11 September 2000 / Published online: 24 September 2001     

Special points on products of two Shimura curves

Let S ₁ and S ₂ be two Shimura curves over ℚ attached to rational indefinite quaternion algebras B _{1 ℚ} and B _{1 ℚ} with maximal orders B ₁ and B ₂ respectively. We consider an irreducible closed algebraic curve C in the product (S ₁×S ₂)_ℂ such that C(ℂ) ∩ (S ₁×S ₂)(ℂ) contains infinitely many complex multiplication points. We prove, assuming the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis (GRH) for imaginary quadratic fields, that C is of Hodge type. Received: 3 January 2000 / Revised version: 2 October 2000     

On the genus of a maximal curve

The upper limit and the first gap in the spectrum of genera of -maximal curves are known, see [34], [16], [35]. In this paper we determine the second gap. Both the first and second gaps are approximately constant times , but this does not hold true for the third gap which is just 1 for while (at most) constant times q for This suggests that the problem of determining the third gap which is the object of current work on -maximal curves could be intricate. Here, we investigate a relevant related problem namely that of characterising those -maximal curves whose genus is equal to the third (or possible the forth) largest value in the spectrum. Our results also provide some new evidence on -maximal curves in connection with Castelnuovo's genus bound, Halphen's theorem, and extremal curves. Received: 1 January 2001 / Revised version: 30 July 2001 / Published online: 23 May 2002     

On height functions on Jacobian surfaces

The canonical height on an abelian variety is useful and important for the study of the Mordell-Weil group. But it is difficult to calculate the canonical height in general. We give an effective method to calculate the canonical height on a Jacobian surface. As an application, we verify the Birch-Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture for the Jacobian surface of a twisted modular curve. Received: 15 July 1996 / Revised version: 19 January 1997     

Algebraic points of low degree¶on the Fermat curve of degree seven

We determine all algebraic points of degree at most five over Q on the Fermat curve of degree seven. Received: 26 February 1998 / Revised version: 1 June 1998     

Elliptic functions and equations of modular curves

Let be a prime. We show that the space of weight one Eisenstein series defines an embedding into ${mathbb P}^{(p-3)/2}X_1(p)$ for the congruence group that is scheme-theoretically cut out by explicit quadratic equations. Received: 8 November 2000 / Published online: 17 August 2001     

Exponential sums and singular hypersurfaces

We give upper bounds for the absolute value of exponential sums in several variables attached to certain polynomials with coefficients in a finite field. This bounds are given in terms of invariants of the singularities of the projective hypersurface defined by its highest degree form. For exponential sums attached to the reduction modulo a power of a large prime of a polynomial f with integer coefficients and veryfying a certain condition on the singularities of its highest degree form, we give a bound in terms of the dimension of the Jacobian quotient . Received: 3 November 1997     

On Schlömilch series associated¶with certain Dirichlet series

In this paper we prove that the Dirichlet series , where a(n) is a quasi-polynomial and a, b are distinct non negative rational numbers, is, in a left half plane, a finite sum of Schl?milch-type series. As a worthwhile application we get the value at positive integers of the Hurwitz double zeta-function , , , as well as some information on L(s;a)' real zeros. Received: 20 October 1997 / Revised version: 23 April 1998     

On the generic splitting of quadratic forms in characteristic 2

In [9] and [10] Knebusch established the basic facts of generic splitting theory of quadratic forms over a field of characteristic different from 2. This paper is related to [11] and [13] where Knebusch and Rehmann generalized partially this theory to a field of characteristic 2. More precisely, we begin with a complete characterization of quadratic forms of height 1 (we don't exclude anisotropic quadratic forms with quasi-linear part of dimension at least 1). This allows us to extend the notion of degree to characteristic 2. We prove some results on excellent forms and splitting tower of a quadratic form. Some results on quadratic forms of height 2 and degree 1 or 2 are given. Received: 6 March 2000; in final form: 5 October 2001 / Published online: 17 June 2002