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 eigenspace relative to a fixed complex ring class character provided that the projection onto this eigenspace of a suitable Drinfeld-Heegner point is nonzero. This represents the analogue in the function field setting of a theorem for rational elliptic curves 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.
In this paper we investigate linear dependence of points in Mordell-Weil groups of abelian varieties via reduction maps. In particular we try to determine the conditions for detecting linear dependence in Mordell-Weil groups via finite number of reductions.
We prove that the elliptic surface y^2=x^3+2(t^8+14t^4+1)x+4t^2(t^8+6t^4+1) has geometric Mordell-Weil rank 15. This completes a list of Kuwata, who gave explicit examples of elliptic K3-surfaces with geometric Mordell-Weil rank 0,1,..., 14, 16, 17,18.
In this paper we prove a special case of the Lehmer inequality for Drinfeld modules. Also, based on this inequality, we prove certain Mordell-Weil type of theorems for certain infinitely generated fields.
In this paper we establish a Hasse principle concerning the linear dependence over $\Z$ of nontorsion points in the Mordell-Weil group of an abelian variety over a number field.
We prove results on the Mordell--Weil rank of elliptic curves $y^2=x(x-αa^2)(x-βb^2)$ parametrized by binary quadratic forms $αa^2+βb^2=γc^2$. We express our explicit lower bounds over number fields and offer a detailed description of the corresponding Mordell-Weil group structure in the function field case.
We study the variation of Mordell-Weil ranks in the Jacobians of curves in a pro-p tower over a fixed number field. In particular, we show that under mild conditions the Mordell-Weil rank of a Jacobian in the tower is bounded above by a constant multiple of its dimension. In the case of the tower of Fermat curves, we show that the constant can be taken arbitrarily close to 1. The main result is used in the forthcoming paper of Guillermo Mantilla-Soler on the Mordell-Weil rank of the modular Jacobian J(Np^m).
We use Hodge theory to prove a new upper bound on the ranks of Mordell-Weil groups for elliptic curves over function fields after regular geometrically Galois extensions of the base field, improving on previous results of Silverman and Ellenberg, when the base field has characteristic zero and the supports of the conductor of the elliptic curve and of the ramification divisor of the extension are disjoint.
In the first paper of this series, we constructed a family of lattices in dimensions 2^{n+1} for positive integers n, and proved that the associated lattice packings of spheres equal or exceed the previous records for several values of n. In this paper we analyze the case n=6, which is now the first case where the resulting lattice MW128 yields a previously unknown lattice of record density. We prove that the elliptic curve used to construct this lattice has trivial Tate-Shafarevich group, and exhibit on that curve a rational point whose canonical height attains our lower bound on the minimal …
Using the Shioda-Tate theorem and an adaptation of Silverman's specialization theorem, we reduce the specialization of Mordell-Weil ranks for abelian varieties over fields finitely generated over infinite finitely generated fields $k$ to the the specialization theorem for Néron-Severi ranks recently proved by Ambrosi in positive characteristic. More precisely, we prove that after a blow-up of the base surface $S$, for all vertical curves $S_x$ of a fibration $S \to U \subseteq \mathbf{P}^1_k$ with $x$ from the complement of a sparse subset of $|U|$, the Mordell-Weil rank of an abelian scheme o…
We discuss the distribution of Mordell--Weil ranks of the family of elliptic curves $y^2=(x+αf^2)(x+βb g^2)(x+γh^2)$ where $f,g,h$ are coprime polynomials that parametrize the projective smooth conic $a^2+b^2=c^2$ and $α,β,γ$ are elements from $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$. In our previous papers we discussed certain special cases of this problem and in this article we complete the picture by proving the general results.
We use methods for computing Picard numbers of reductions of K3 surfaces in order to study the decomposability of Jacobians over number fields and the variance of Mordell-Weil ranks of families of Jacobians over different ground fields. For example, we give examples of surfaces whose Picard numbers jump in rank at all primes of good reduction using Mordell-Weil groups of Jacobians and show that the genus of curves over number fields whose Jacobians are isomorphic to a product of elliptic curves satisfying certain reduction conditions is bounded. The isomorphism result addresses the number fiel…
We study the arithmetic of abelian varieties over $K=k(t)$ where $k$ is an arbitrary field. The main result relates Mordell-Weil groups of certain Jacobians over $K$ to homomorphisms of other Jacobians over $k$. Our methods also yield completely explicit points on elliptic curves with unbounded rank over $\Fpbar(t)$ and a new construction of elliptic curves with moderately high rank over $\C(t)$.
Let $k$ be a number field and $U$ a smooth integral $k$-variety. Let $X \to U$ be an abelian scheme. We consider the set $\mathcal{R}$ of rational points $m \in U(k)$ such that the Mordell-Weil rank of the fibre $U_{m}$ is strictly bigger than the Mordell-Weil rank of the generic fibre. We prove the following results. If the $k$-variety $X$ is $k$-unirational, then $\mathcal{R}$ is dense for the Zariski topology on $U$. If $X$ is $k$-rational, then $\mathcal{R}$ is not thin in $U$. This generalizes results of Billard and of Salgado. The main idea goes back to Néron's thesis: use the generic po…
We study the family of elliptic curves $y^2=x(x-a^2)(x-b^2)$ parametrized by Pythagorean triples $(a,b,c)$. We prove that for a generic triple the lower bound of the rank of the Mordell-Weil group over $\mathbb{Q}$ is 1, and for some explicitly given infinite family the rank is 2. To each family we attach an elliptic surface fibered over the projective line. We show that the lower bounds for the rank are optimal, in the sense that for each generic fiber of such an elliptic surface its corresponding Mordell-Weil group over the function field $\mathbb{Q}(t)$ has rank 1 or 2, respectively. In ord…
To a pair of elliptic curves, one can naturally attach two K3 surfaces: the Kummer surface of their product and a double cover of it, called the Inose surface. They have prominently featured in many interesting constructions in algebraic geometry and number theory. There are several more associated elliptic K3 surfaces, obtained through base change of the Inose surface; these have been previously studied by Kuwata. We give an explicit description of the geometric Mordell-Weil groups of each of these elliptic surfaces in the generic case (when the elliptic curves are non-isogenous). In the non-…
In this paper we prove Hasse local-global principle for polynomials with coefficients in Mordell-Weil type groups over number fields like S-units, abelian varieties with trivial ring of endomorphisms and odd algebraic K-theory groups.
We consider a local to global principle for detecting linear dependence of nontorsion points, by reduction maps, in the Mordell-Weil group of an abelian variety over a number field.
In this paper, we determine all modular Jacobian varieties $J_1(M,MN)$ over the number field $\mathbb{Q}(ζ_M)$ with the Mordell-Weil rank zero following the method of Derickx, Etropolski, van Hoeij, Morrow, and Zureick-Brown.
Let $X$ be a smooth cubic hypersurface of dimension $n \ge 1$ over the rationals. It is well-known that new rational points may be obtained from old ones by secant and tangent constructions. In view of the Mordell--Weil theorem for $n=1$, Manin (1968) asked if there exists a finite set $S$ from which all other rational points can be thus obtained. We give an affirmative answer for $n \ge 48$, showing in fact that we can take the generating set $S$ to consist of just one point. Our proof makes use of a weak approximation theorem due to Skinner, a theorem of Browning, Dietmann and Heath-Brown on…
We present a method for computing the Mordell-Weil rank of the jacobian of a curve of genus 2 with multiplication by a square root of 2, based on descent via isogenies of degree 2, and apply it to a family of curves.
We develop a general classification theory for Brumer's dihedral quintic polynomials by means of Kummer theory arising from certain elliptic curves. We also give a similar theory for cubic polynomials.
We introduce the use of $p$-descent techniques for elliptic surfaces over a perfect field of characteristic not $2$ or $3$. Under mild hypotheses, we obtain an upper bound for the rank of a non-constant elliptic surface. When $p=2$, this bound is an arithmetic refinement of a well-known geometric bound for the rank deduced from Igusa's inequality. This answers a question raised by Ulmer. We give some applications to rank bounds for elliptic surfaces over the rational numbers.
In this paper, we examine certain maximal rank sublattices of the Mordell-Weil lattices of two families of elliptic curves over fields of characteristic $p > 0$. We compute explicit lower bounds on the densest sphere packings of these sublattices by finding lower bounds on the minimal norms of the sublattices and explicitly computing the volumes of their fundamental domains.
Answering a question of Ed Schaefer, we show that if J is the Jacobian of a curve C over a number field, if s is an automorphism of J coming from an automorphism of C, and if u lies in the subring Z[s] of End J and has connected kernel, then it is not necessarily the case that u gives a surjective map from the Mordell-Weil group of J to the Mordell-Weil group of its image.
Let S be a smooth cubic surface over a field K. It is well-known that new K-rational points may be obtained from old ones by secant and tangent constructions. A Mordell-Weil generating set is a subset B of S(K) of minimal cardinality which generates S(K) via successive secant and tangent constructions. Let r(S,K) be the cardinality of such a Mordell-Weil generating set. Manin posed what is known as the Mordell-Weil problem for cubic surfaces: if K is finitely generated over its prime subfield then r(S,K) is finite. In this paper, we prove a special case of this conjecture. Namely, if S contain…
We present an heuristic argument for the prediction of expected Mordell-Weil rank of elliptic curves over number fields, using Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer's original conjecture and Sato-Tate conjectures. We do calculations in some cases and raise questions about their relations, if any, with the predictions of various average rank models that have been considered.
We study an infinite family of Mordell curves (i.e. the elliptic curves in the form y^2=x^3+n, n \in Z) over Q with three explicit integral points. We show that the points are independent in certain cases. We describe how to compute bounds of the canonical heights of the points. Using the result we show that any pair in the three points can always be a part of a basis of the free part of the Mordell--Weil group.
We extend results of Cogolludo-Agustin and Libgober relating the Alexander polynomial of a plane curve $C$ with the Mordell--Weil rank of certain isotrivial families of jacobians over $\mathbf{P}^2$ of discriminant $C$. In the second part we introduce a height pairing on the $(2,3,6)$ quasi-toric decompositions of a plane curve. We use this pairing and the results in the first part of the paper to construct a pair of degree 12 curves with 30 cusps and Alexander polynomial $t^2-t+1$, but with distinct height pairing. We use the height pairing to show that these curves from a Zariski pair.
If A is an abelian variety over a number field K, and L is a (possibly infinite) extension of K generated by torsion points of A, then the quotient of A(L) by its torsion subgroup is a free abelian group.
Let $E$ be an elliptic surface over the curve $C$, defined over a number field $k$, let $P$ be a section of $E$, and let $\ell$ be a rational prime. For any non-singular fibre $E_t$, we bound the number of points $Q$ on $E_t$ of (algebraic) degree at most $D$ over $k$, such that $\ell^n Q=P_t$, for some $n\geq 1$. The bound obtained depends only on $\ell$, the surface and section in question, $D$, and the degree $[k(t):k]$; that is, it is uniform across all fibres of bounded degree. In special cases, we obtain more specific, in some instances sharp, bounds.
Let $ p $ and $ q $ be odd prime numbers with $ q - p = 2, $ the $φ-$Selmer groups, Shafarevich-Tate groups ($ φ- $ and $ 2-$part) and their dual ones as well the Mordell-Weil groups of elliptic curves $ y^{2} = x (x \pm p) (x \pm q) $ over imaginary quadratic number fields of class number one are determined explicitly in many cases.
Let $Σ$ be a smooth projective surface, let $f' : S' \to Σ$ be a double cover of $Σ$ and let $μ: S \to S'$ be the canonical resolution. Put $f = f'\circμ$. An irreducible curve $C$ on $Σ$ is said to be a splitting curve with respect to $f$ if $f^*C$ is of the form $C^+ + C^- + E$, where $C^- = σ_f^*C^+$, $σ_f$ being the covering transformation of $f$ and all irreducible components of $E$ are contained in the exceptional set of $μ$. In this article, we show that a kind of "reciprocity" of splitting curves holds for a certain pair of curves on rational ruled surfaces. As an application, we consi…
Let $K$ be a number field, $\bar{K}$ an algebraic closure of $K$ and $E/K$ an elliptic curve defined over $K$. In this paper, we prove that if $E/K$ has a $K$-rational point $P$ such that $2P\neq O$ and $3P\neq O$, then for each $σ\in Gal(\bar{K}/K)$, the Mordell-Weil group $E(\bar{K}^σ)$ of $E$ over the fixed subfield of $\bar{K}$ under $σ$ has infinite rank.
Let A be a modular abelian variety of GL2-type over a totally real field F of class number one. Under some mild assumptions, we show that the Mordell-Weil rank of A grows polynomially over Hilbert class fields of CM extensions of F.
Let $E/\bbq$ be an elliptic curve defined over $\bbq$ with conductor $N$ and $\gq$ the absolute Galois group of an algebraic closure $\bar{\bbq}$ of $\bbq$. We prove that for every $σ\in \gq$, the Mordell-Weil group $E(\oqs)$ of $E$ over the fixed subfield of $\bar{\bbq}$ under $σ$ has infinite rank. Our approach uses the modularity of $E/\bbq$ and a collection of algebraic points on $E$ -- the so-called {\em Heegner points} -- arising from the theory of complex multiplication.
We discuss the Mordell-Weil sieve as a general technique for proving results concerning rational points on a given curve. In the special case of curves of genus 2, we describe quite explicitly how the relevant local information can be obtained if one does not want to restrict to mod p information at primes of good reduction. We describe our implementation of the Mordell-Weil sieve algorithm and discuss its efficiency.
We study the possible structure of the groups of rational points on elliptic curves of the form y^2=(ax+1)(bx+1)(cx+1), where a,b,c are non-zero rationals such that the product of any two of them is one less than a square.
Let $p$ be an odd prime and $F_{\infty}$ a $p$-adic Lie extension of a number field $F$. Let $A$ be an abelian variety over $F$ which has ordinary reduction at every primes above $p$. Under various assumptions, we establish asymptotic upper bounds for the growth of Mordell-Weil rank of the abelian variety of $A$ in the said $p$-adic Lie extension. Our upper bound can be expressed in terms of invariants coming from the cyclotomic level. Motivated by this formula, we make a conjecture on an asymptotic upper bound of the growth of Mordell-Weil ranks over a $p$-adic Lie extension which is in terms…
Bruin--Najman and Ozman--Siksek have recently determined the quadratic points on all modular curves $X_0(N)$ of genus 2, 3, 4, and 5 whose Mordell--Weil group has rank 0. In this paper we do the same for the $X_0(N)$ of genus 2, 3, 4, and 5 and positive Mordell--Weil rank. The values of $N$ are 37, 43, 53, 61, 57, 65, 67 and 73. The main tool used is a relative symmetric Chabauty method, in combination with the Mordell--Weil sieve. Often the quadratic points are not finite, as the degree 2 map $X_0(N)\to X_0(N)^+$ can be a source of infinitely many such points. In such cases, we describe this …
Let $F$ be a number field unramified at an odd prime $p$ and $F_\infty$ be the $\mathbf{Z}_p$-cyclotomic extension of $F$. Let $A$ be an abelian variety defined over $F$ with good supersingular reduction at all primes of $F$ above $p$. Büyükboduk and the first named author have defined modified Selmer groups associated to $A$ over $F_\infty$. Assuming that the Pontryagin dual of these Selmer groups are torsion $\mathbf{Z}_p[[\mathrm{Gal}(F_\infty/F)]]$-modules, we give an explicit sufficient condition for the rank of the Mordell-Weil group $A(F_n)$ to be bounded as $n$ varies.
We show that there is a bound depending only on g and [K:Q] for the number of K-rational points on a hyperelliptic curve C of genus g over a number field K such that the Mordell-Weil rank r of its Jacobian is at most g-3. If K = Q, an explicit bound is 8 r g + 33 (g - 1) + 1. The proof is based on Chabauty's method; the new ingredient is an estimate for the number of zeros of a logarithm in a p-adic `annulus' on the curve, which generalizes the standard bound on disks. The key observation is that for a p-adic field k, the set of k-points on C can be covered by a collection of disks and annuli …
Let $A$ be an abelian variety defined over a number field $K$. If $\mathfrak{p}$ is a prime of $K$ of good reduction for $A$, let $A(K)_\mathfrak{p}$ denote the image of the Mordell-Weil group via reduction modulo $\mathfrak{p}$. We prove in particular that the size of $A(K)_\mathfrak{p}$, by varying $\mathfrak{p}$, encodes enough information to determine the $K$-isogeny class of $A$, provided that the following necessary condition is satisfied: $B(K)$ has positive rank for every non-trivial abelian subvariety $B$ of $A$. This is the analogue to a result by Faltings of 1983 considering instead…
Conjecturally, the parity of the Mordell-Weil rank of an elliptic curve over a number field K is determined by its root number. The root number is a product of local root numbers, so the rank modulo 2 is conjecturally the sum over all places of K of a function of elliptic curves over local fields. This note shows that there can be no analogue for the rank modulo 3, 4 or 5, or for the rank itself. In fact, standard conjectures for elliptic curves imply that there is no analogue modulo n for any n>2, so this is purely a parity phenomenon.
This master thesis describes how Selmer groups can be used to determine the Mordell-Weil group of elliptic curves over a number field K. The Mordell-Weil Theorem states that $E(K) = E(K)_{tors} \times Z^r$, where $r$ is the rank of $E$, and $E(K)_{tors}$ is the torsion subgroup, i.e. the group of points of finite order in $E(K)$. The group $E(K)_{tors}$ is finite and well understood. So, one tries to find a way to determine the rank $r$ of $E$, which is the major problem. The procedure described in this thesis shows how to transfer the computation of the weak Mordell-Weil group $E(K)/mE(K)$ to…
In this article we extend work of Shanks and Washington on cyclic extensions, and elliptic curves associated to the simplest cubic fields. In particular, we give families of examples of hyperelliptic curves $C: y^2=f(x)$ defined over $\mathbb{Q}$, with $f(x)$ of degree $p$, where $p$ is a Sophie Germain prime, such that the rank of the Mordell--Weil group of the jacobian $J/\mathbb{Q}$ of $C$ is bounded by the genus of $C$ and the $2$-rank of the class group of the (cyclic) field defined by $f(x)$, and exhibit examples where this bound is sharp.
For a given number field $K$, we show that the ranks of nonsingular elliptic curves over $K$ are uniformly finitely bounded if and only if weak Mordell-Weil property holds in all(some) ultrpowers $^*K$ of $K$. Also we introduce Nonstandard Mordell-Weil property for $^*K$ considering each Mordell-Weil group as $^*Z$-module, where $^*Z$ is an ultrapower of $Z$, and we show that Nonstandard Mordell-Weil property is equivalent to weak Mordell-Weil property in $^*K$. In Appendix, we showed that it is possible to consider definable abelian groups as $^*Z$-modules in a saturated nonstandard rational …