Root numbers and ranks in positive characteristic

For a global field K and an elliptic curve E_η over K(T), Silverman's specialization theorem implies rank(E_η(K(T)))?rank(E_t(K)) for all but finitely many t∈P¹(K). If this inequality is strict for all but finitely many t, the elliptic curve E_η is said to have elevated rank. All known examples of elevated rank for K=Q rest on the parity conjecture for elliptic curves over Q, and the examples are all isotrivial.Some additional standard conjectures over Q imply that there does not exist a non-isotrivial elliptic curve over Q(T) with elevated rank. In positive characteristic, an analogue of one of these additional conjectures is false. Inspired by this, for the rational function field K=κ(u) over any finite field κ with characteristic ≠2, we construct an explicit 2-parameter family E_c,d of non-isotrivial elliptic curves over K(T) (depending on arbitrary c,d∈κ^×) such that, under the parity conjecture, each E_c,d has elevated rank.     

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 .     

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.     

Rationality problem of GL4 group actions

Let K be any field which may not be algebraically closed, V be a four-dimensional vector space over K, σ∈GL(V) where the order of σ may be finite or infinite, f(T)∈K[T] be the characteristic polynomial of σ. Let α, αβ₁, αβ₂, αβ₃ be the four roots of f(T)=0 in some extension field of K.Theorem 1.BothK(V)^〈σ〉andare rational (=purelytranscendental) overKif at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: (i) charK=2, (ii) f(T) is a reducible or inseparable polynomial inK[T], (iii) not all ofβ₁,β₂,β₃are roots of unity, (iv) iff(T) is separable irreducible, then the Galois group off(T) overKis not isomorphic to the dihedral group of order 8 or the Klein four group.Theorem 2.Suppose that allβ_iare roots of unity andf(T)∈K[T] is separable irreducible. (a) If the Galois group off(T) is isomorphic to the dihedral group of order 8, then bothK(V)^〈σ〉andare not stably rational overK. (b) When the Galois group off(T) is isomorphic to the Klein four group, then a necessary and sufficient condition for rationality ofK(V)^〈σ〉andis provided. (See Theorem 1.5. for details.)     

Infinite multiplicity of roots of unity of the Galois group in the representation on elliptic curves

Let K be a number field, an algebraic closure of K and E/K an elliptic curve defined over K. Let G_K be the absolute Galois group of over K. This paper proves that there is a subset Σ⊆G_K of Haar measure 1 such that for every σ∈Σ, the spectrum of σ in the natural representation of G_K consists of all roots of unity, each of infinite multiplicity. Also, this paper proves that any complex conjugation automorphism in G_K has the eigenvalue -1 with infinite multiplicity in the representation space of G_K.     

On primitive points of elliptic curves with complex multiplication

Let E be an elliptic curve defined over Q and P∈E(Q) a rational point of infinite order. Suppose that E has complex multiplication by an order in the imaginary quadratic field k. Denote by M_E,P the set of rational primes ? such that ? splits in k, E has good reduction at ?, and P is a primitive point modulo ?. Under the generalized Riemann hypothesis, we can determine the positivity of the density of the set M_E,P explicitly.     

Sklyanin algebras and Hilbert schemes of points

We construct projective moduli spaces for torsion-free sheaves on noncommutative projective planes. These moduli spaces vary smoothly in the parameters describing the noncommutative plane and have good properties analogous to those of moduli spaces of sheaves over the usual (commutative) projective plane P².The generic noncommutative plane corresponds to the Sklyanin algebra S=Skl(E,σ) constructed from an automorphism σ of infinite order on an elliptic curve E⊂P². In this case, the fine moduli space of line bundles over S with first Chern class zero and Euler characteristic 1−n provides a symplectic variety that is a deformation of the Hilbert scheme of n points on P²?E.     

On the vanishing of Selmer groups for elliptic curves over ring class fields

Let E/Q be an elliptic curve of conductor N without complex multiplication and let K be an imaginary quadratic field of discriminant D prime to N. Assume that the number of primes dividing N and inert in K is odd, and let Hc be the ring class field of K of conductor c prime to ND with Galois group Gc over K. Fix a complex character χ of Gc. Our main result is that if LK(E,χ,1)≠0 then Selp(E/Hc)χ_⊗W=0 for all but finitely many primes p, where Selp(E/Hc) is the p-Selmer group of E over Hc and W is a suitable finite extension of Zp containing the values of χ. Our work extends results of Bertolini and Darmon to almost all non-ordinary primes p and also offers alternative proofs of a χ-twisted version of the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture for E over Hc (Bertolini and Darmon) and of the vanishing of Selp(E/K) for almost all p (Kolyvagin) in the case of analytic rank zero.     

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.     

Borne uniforme pour les homothéties dans l?image de Galois associée aux courbes elliptiques

Let K be a fixed number field and GK its absolute Galois group. We give a bound C(K), depending only on the degree, the class number and the discriminant of K, such that for any elliptic curve E defined over K and any prime number p strictly larger than C(K), the image of the representation of GK attached to the p-torsion points of E contains a subgroup of homotheties of index smaller than 12.     

Combinatorial aspects of the Lascoux-Schützenberger tree

In 1982, Richard Stanley introduced the formal series F_σ(X) in order to enumerate reduced decompositions of a given permutation σ. Stanley (European J. Combin. 5(4) (1984) 359) not only showed F_σ(X) to be symmetric, but in certain cases, F_σ(X) was a Schur function. Stanley conjectured that for arbitrary was always Schur positive. Edelman and Greene subsequently proved this fact (Combinatories and Algebra (Boulder, CO, 1983), Amer. Math. Soc., Providence RI, 1984, pp. 155-162; Adv. in Math. 63(1) (1987) 42). Using the techniques of Lascoux and Schützenberger (Lett. Math. Phys. 10(2-3) (1985) 111) for computing Littlewood-Richardson coefficients, we will exhibit a new bijective proof of the Schur positivity of F_σ(X).     

On the independence of Heegner points in the function field case

Let ∞ be a fixed place of a global function field k. Let E be an elliptic curve defined over k which has split multiplicative reduction at ∞ and fix a modular parametrization ΦE:X₀(N)→E. Let be Heegner points associated to the rings of integers of distinct quadratic “imaginary” fields K₁,…,Kr over (k,∞). We prove that if the “prime-to-2p” part of the ideal class numbers of ring of integers of K₁,…,Kr are larger than a constant C=C(E,ΦE) depending only on E and ΦE, then the points P₁,…,Pr are independent in . Moreover, when k is rational, we show that there are infinitely many imaginary quadratic fields for which the prime-to-2p part of the class numbers are larger than C.     

K3 surfaces, rational curves, and rational points

We prove that for any of a wide class of elliptic surfaces X defined over a number field k, if there is an algebraic point on X that lies on only finitely many rational curves, then there is an algebraic point on X that lies on no rational curves. In particular, our theorem applies to a large class of elliptic K3 surfaces, which relates to a question posed by Bogomolov in 1981.     

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.     

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.     

On the independence of Heegner points associated to distinct quadratic imaginary fields

Let E/Q be an elliptic curve with no CM and a fixed modular parametrization and let be Heegner points attached to the rings of integers of distinct quadratic imaginary fields k₁,…,kr. We prove that if the odd parts of the class numbers of k₁,…,kr are larger than a constant C=C(E,ΦE) depending only on E and ΦE, then the points P₁,…,Pr are independent in .     

Torsion points on the jacobian of a Fermat quotient

Let p≥5 be a prime, ζ a primitive pth root of unity and λ=1−ζ. For 1≤s≤p−2, the smooth projective model C_p,s of the affine curve v^p=u^s(1−u) is a curve of genus (p−1)/2 whose jacobian J_p,s has complex multiplication by the ring of integers of the cyclotomic field Q(ζ). In 1981, Greenberg determined the field of rationality of the p-torsion subgroup of J_p,s and moreover he proved that the λ³-torsion points of J_p,s are all rational over Q(ζ). In this paper we determine quite explicitly the λ³-torsion points of J_p,1 for p=5 and p=7, as well as some further p-torsion points which have interesting arithmetical applications, notably to the complementary laws of Kummer’s reciprocity for pth powers.     

The period-index problem in WC-groups I: elliptic curves

Let E/K be an elliptic curve defined over a number field, and let p be a prime number such that E(K) has full p-torsion. We show that the order of the p-part of the Shafarevich-Tate group of E/L is unbounded as L varies over degree p extensions of K. The proof uses O’Neil's period-index obstruction. We deduce the result from the fact that, under the same hypotheses, there exist infinitely many elements of the Weil-Châtelet group of E/K of period p and index p².     

On Indecomposable Elements of K1 of a Product of Elliptic Curves

Let E₁, E₂ be elliptic curves with good reduction over a local field k of residue characteristic p. Let X be the smooth projective model of E₁ × E₂ over the ring of integers of k. We show that KerCH²(X) CH² (E₁ × E₂)) is a finite p-group, by giving a new construction of indecomposable elements of H¹ _Zar(E₁ × E₂, K₂). As an application we show that the prime to p part of the torsion subgroup of CH²(E₁ × E₂) is finite.     

Special cohomology classes for modular Galois representations

Building on ideas of Vatsal [Uniform distribution of Heegner points, Invent. Math. 148(1) (2002) 1-46], Cornut [Mazur's conjecture on higher Heegner points, Invent. Math. 148(3) (2002) 495-523] proved a conjecture of Mazur asserting the generic nonvanishing of Heegner points on an elliptic curve E_/Q as one ascends the anticyclotomic Z_p-extension of a quadratic imaginary extension K/Q. In the present article, Cornut's result is extended by replacing the elliptic curve E with the Galois cohomology of Deligne's two-dimensional ?-adic representation attached to a modular form of weight 2k>2, and replacing the family of Heegner points with an analogous family of special cohomology classes.