If P is an algebraic point on a commutative group scheme A/K, then P is _almost_rational_ if no two non-trivial Galois conjugates sigma(P), tau(P), have sum equal to 2P. In this paper, we classify almost rational torsion points on semistable elliptic curves over Q.
We prove new sharp asymptotic for counting the semistable elliptic curves with two marked Weierstrass points at $\infty$ and $0$ and also the cases where $0$ is a 2-torsion or a 3-torsion marked Weierstrass point over $\mathbb{F}_q(t)$ by the bounded height of discriminant $Δ(X)$. We consider the motivic probabilities over any basefield $K$ with $\text{char}(K) \neq 2,3$ of picking a nonsingular semistable elliptic surface over $\mathbb{P}^{1}$ with two marked Weierstrass sections at $\infty$ and $0$ such that marked Weierstrass section at $0$ is 2-torsion or 3-torsion. In the end, we formulat…
Let $p$ be a prime, let $K$ be a discretely valued extension of $\mathbb{Q}_p$, and let $A_{K}$ be an abelian $K$-variety with semistable reduction. Extending work by Kim and Marshall from the case where $p>2$ and $K/\mathbb{Q}_p$ is unramified, we prove an $l=p$ complement of a Galois cohomological formula of Grothendieck for the $l$-primary part of the Néron component group of $A_{K}$. Our proof involves constructing, for each $m\in \mathbb{Z}_{\geq 0}$, a finite flat $\mathscr{O}_K$-group scheme with generic fiber equal to the maximal 1-crystalline submodule of $A_{K}[p^{m}]$. As a corollar…
Given an elliptic curve $E$ in Legendre form $y^2 = x(x - 1)(x - λ)$ over the fraction field of a Henselian ring $R$ of mixed characteristic $(0, 2)$, we present an algorithm for determining a semistable model of $E$ over $R$ which depends only on the valuation of $λ$. We provide several examples along with an easy corollary concerning $2$-torsion.
In 1972, Serre showed that the adelic Galois representation associated to a non-CM elliptic curve over a number field has open image in GL_2(\hat{Z}). In Greicius' thesis, he develops necessary and sufficient criteria for determining when this representation is actually surjective and exhibits such an example. However, verifying these criteria turns out to be difficult in practice; Greicius describes tests for them that apply only to semistable elliptic curves over a specific class of cubic number fields. In this paper, we extend Greicius' methods in several directions. First, we consider the …
Using the division polynomials for elliptic curves in Weierstrass form, it shown that the group of rational points on the curve $H: ky(yy - 1) = lx(xx - 1)$ is torsion-free.
We give a complete characterization for the rational torsion of an elliptic curve in terms of the (non-)existence of integral solutions of a system of diophantine equations.
We classify the possible torsion structures of rational elliptic curves over cubic fields. Along the way we find a previously unknown torsion structure over a cubic field, $\Z /21 \Z$, which corresponds to a sporadic point on $X_1(21)$ of degree 3, which is the lowest possible degree of a sporadic point on a modular curve $X_1(n)$.
Let $E/\mathbb{Q}$ be an elliptic curve over the rational numbers. It is known, by the work of Bombieri and Zannier, that if $E$ has full rational $2$-torsion, the number $N_E(B)$ of rational points with Weil height bounded by $B$ is $\exp\left(O\left(\frac{\log B}{\sqrt{\log\log B}}\right)\right)$. In this paper we exploit the method of descent via $2$-isogeny to extend this result to elliptic curves with just one nontrivial rational $2$-torsion point. Moreover, we make use of a result of Petsche to derive the stronger upper bound $N_{E}(B) = \exp\left(O\left(\frac{\log B}{\log\log B}\right)\…
The classification of elliptic curves E over the rationals Q is studied according to their torsion subgroups E_{tors}(Q) of rational points. Explicit criteria for the classification are given when E_{tors}(Q) are cyclic groups with even orders. The generator points P of E_{tors}(Q) are also explicitly presented in each case. These results, together with recent results of K. Ono, completely solve the problem of the mentioned explicit classification when E has a rational point of order 2.
We study the rational torsion subgroup of the modular Jacobian $J_0(N)$ for $N$ a square-free integer. We give a new proof of a result of Ohta on a generalization of Ogg's conjecture: for a prime number $p \nmid 6N$, the $p$-primary part of the rational torsion subgroup equals that of the cuspidal subgroup. Whereas previous proofs of this result used explicit computations of the cardinalities of these groups, we instead use their structure as modules for the Hecke algebra.
We generalize a result of Frey [Fre88] on the Selmer group of twists of elliptic curves over Q with Q-rational torsion points to elliptic curves defined over number fields of small degree K with a K-rational point. We also provide examples of elliptic curves coming from [Zyw15] that satisfy the conditions of our Theorem B.
We prove that the family $\mathcal{I}_{F_0}$ of elliptic curves over number fields that are geometrically isogenous to an elliptic curve with $F_0$-rational $j$-invariant is typically bounded in torsion. Under an additional uniformity assumption, we also prove that the family $\mathcal{I}_{d_0}$ of elliptic curves over number fields that are geometrically isogenous to an elliptic curve with degree $d_0$ $j$-invariant is typically bounded in torsion.
For a proper, smooth scheme $X$ over a $p$-adic field $K$, we show that any proper, flat, semistable $\mathcal{O}_K$-model $\mathcal{X}$ of $X$ whose logarithmic de Rham cohomology is torsion free determines the same $\mathcal{O}_K$-lattice inside $H^i_{dR}(X/K)$ and, moreover, that this lattice is functorial in $X$. For this, we extend the results of Bhatt--Morrow--Scholze on the construction and the analysis of an $A_{inf}$-valued cohomology theory of $p$-adic formal, proper, smooth $\mathcal{O}_{\overline{K}}$-schemes $\mathfrak{X}$ to the semistable case. The relation of the $A_{inf}$-coho…
In this paper, we describe the construction of superelliptic curves with a rational point of prescribed order on their jacobians. The construction is based on Hensel's Lemma and produces for a given integer $N$ a superelliptic curve of genus linear in $N$ with a rational $N$-division point on the jacobian. The method is illustrated with multiple examples.
By Mazur's Torsion Theorem, there are fourteen possibilities for the non-trivial torsion subgroup $T$ of a rational elliptic curve. For each $T$, such that $E$ may have additive reduction at a prime $p$, we consider a parameterized family $E_T$ of elliptic curves with the property that they parameterize all elliptic curves $E/\mathbb{Q}$ which contain $T$ in their torsion subgroup. Using these parameterized families, we explicitly classify the Kodaira-Néron type, the conductor exponent, and the local Tamagawa number at each prime $p$ where $E/\mathbb{Q}$ has additive reduction. As a consequenc…
Let $E/\mathbb{Q}$ be an elliptic curve and let $\mathbb{Q}(D_4^\infty)$ be the compositum of all extensions of $\mathbb{Q}$ whose Galois closure has Galois group isomorphic to a quotient of a subdirect product of a finite number of transitive subgroups of $D_4$. In this article we first show that $\mathbb{Q}(D_4^\infty)$ is in fact the compositum of all $D_4$ extensions of $\mathbb{Q}$ and then we prove that the torsion subgroup of $E(\mathbb{Q}(D_4^\infty))$ is finite and determine the 24 possibilities for its structure. We also give a complete classification of the elliptic curves that have…
Let $E$ be an elliptic curve defined over $\mathbb{Q}$, and let $K$ be a number field of degree four that is Galois over $\mathbb{Q}$. The goal of this article is to classify the different isomorphism types of $E(K)_{\text{tors}}$.
Let $p$ be a prime greater than 3. Consider the modular curve $X_0(3p)$ over $\mathbb{Q}$ and its Jacobian variety $J_0(3p)$ over $\mathbb{Q}$. Let $\mathcal{T}(3p)$ and $\mathcal{C}(3p)$ be the group of rational torsion points on $J_0(3p)$ and the cuspidal group of $J_0(3p)$, respectively. We prove that the $3$-primary subgroups of $\mathcal{T}(3p)$ and $\mathcal{C}(3p)$ coincide unless $p\equiv 1 \pmod 9$ and $3^{\frac{p-1}{3}} \equiv 1 \!\pmod {p}$.
In [2], the author claims that the fields $\mathbb{Q}(D_4^\infty)$ defined in the paper and the compositum of all $D_4$ extensions of $\mathbb{Q}$ coincide. The proof of this claim depends on a misreading of a celebrated result by Shafarevich. The purpose is to salvage the main results of [2]. That is, the classification of torsion structures of $E$ defined over $\mathbb{Q}$ when base changed to the compositum of all $D_4$ extensions of $\mathbb{Q}$ main results of [2]. All the main results in [2] are still correct except that we are no longer able to prove that these two fields are equal.
A family $\mathcal{F}$ of elliptic curves defined over number fields is said to be typically bounded in torsion if the torsion subgroups $E(F)[$tors$]$ of those elliptic curves $E_{/F}\in \mathcal{F}$ can be made uniformly bounded after removing from $\mathcal{F}$ those whose number field degrees lie in a subset of $\mathbb{Z}^+$ with arbitrarily small upper density. For every number field $F$, we prove unconditionally that the family $\mathcal{E}_F$ of elliptic curves defined over number fields and with $F$-rational $j$-invariant is typically bounded in torsion. For any integer $d\in\mathbb{Z…
Let $E$ be an elliptic curve over a number field $K$. Descent calculations on $E$ can be used to find upper bounds for the rank of the Mordell-Weil group, and to compute covering curves that assist in the search for generators of this group. The general method of 4-descent, developed in the PhD theses of Siksek, Womack and Stamminger, has been implemented in Magma (when $K={\mathbb Q}$) and works well for elliptic curves with sufficiently small discriminant. By extending work of Bremner and Cassels, we describe the improvements that can be made when $E$ has a rational 2-torsion point. In parti…
We consider the generalised Jacobian $J_{0}(N)_{\mathbf{m}}$ of the modular curve $X_{0}(N)$ of level $N$, with respect to the modulus $\mathbf{m}$ consisting of all cusps on the modular curve. When $N$ is odd, we determine the group structure of the rational torsion $J_{0}(N)_{\mathbf{m}}(\mathbb{Q})_{tor}$ up to $2$-primary and $l$-primary parts for any prime $l$ dividing $N$. Our results extend those of Wei--Yamazaki for squarefree levels and Yamazaki--Yang for prime-power levels.
This paper presents a new result concerning the distribution of 2-Selmer ranks in the quadratic twist family of an elliptic curve with a single point of order two that does not have a cyclic 4-isogeny defined over its two-division field. We prove that at least half of all the quadratic twists of such an elliptic curve have arbitrarily large 2-Selmer rank, showing that the distribution of 2-Selmer ranks in the quadratic twist family of such an elliptic curve differs from the distribution of 2-Selmer ranks in the quadratic twist family of an elliptic curve having either no rational two-torsion o…
Let $\frak{n}$ be a square-free ideal of $\mathbb{F}_q[T]$. We study the rational torsion subgroup of the Jacobian variety $J_0(\frak{n})$ of the Drinfeld modular curve $X_0(\frak{n})$. We prove that for any prime number $\ell$ not dividing $q(q-1)$, the $\ell$-primary part of this group coincides with that of the cuspidal divisor class group. We further determine the structure of the $\ell$-primary part of the cuspidal divisor class group for any prime $\ell$ not dividing $q-1$.
L. Szpiro and T. Tucker recently proved that under mild conditions, the valuation of the minimal discriminant of an elliptic curve with semistable reduction over a discrete valuation ring can be expressed in terms of intersections between n-torsion and 2-torsion, where n tends to infinity. The argument of Szpiro and Tucker is geometric in nature. We give a proof based on the arithmetic of division polynomials, and generalize the result to the case of hyperelliptic curves.
We construct examples of families of curves of genus 2 or 3 over Q whose Jacobians split completely and have various large rational torsion subgroups. For example, the rational points on a certain elliptic surface over P^1 of positive rank parameterize a family of genus-2 curves over Q whose Jacobians each have 128 rational torsion points. Also, we find the genus-3 curve 15625(X^4 + Y^4 + Z^4) - 96914(X^2 Y^2 + X^2 Z^2 + Y^2 Z^2) = 0, whose Jacobian has 864 rational torsion points. This paper has appeared in Forum Math. 12 (2000) 315-364.
Let $p$ and $q$ be distinct primes. Consider the Shimura curve $\mathcal{X}$ associated to the indefinite quaternion algebra of discriminant $pq$ over $\mathbb{Q}$. Let $J$ be the Jacobian variety of $\mathcal{X}$, which is an abelian variety over $\mathbb{Q}$. For an odd prime $\ell$, we provide sufficient conditions for the non-existence of rational points of order $\ell$ on $J$. As an application, we find some non-trivial subgroups of the kernel of an isogeny from the new quotient of $J_0(pq)$ to $J$.
Let $[K:\mathbb{Q}]=p$ be a prime number and let $E/K$ be an elliptic curve with $j(E) \in \mathbb{Q}$. We determine the all possibilities for $E(K)_{tors}$. We obtain these results by studying Galois representations of $E$ and of it's quadratic twists.
Let $E/\mathbb{Q}$ be an elliptic curve and let $\mathbb{Q}(3^\infty)$ be the compositum of all cubic extensions of $\mathbb{Q}$. In this article we show that the torsion subgroup of $E(\mathbb{Q}(3^\infty))$ is finite and determine 20 possibilities for its structure, along with a complete description of the $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$-isomorphism classes of elliptic curves that fall into each case. We provide rational parameterizations for each of the 16 torsion structures that occur for infinitely many $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$-isomorphism classes of elliptic curves, and a complete list of $j$-inv…
Let $E$ be an elliptic curve defined over $\Q$, and let $G$ be the torsion group $E(K)_{tors}$ for some cubic field $K$ which does not occur over $\Q$. In this paper, we determine over which types of cubic number fields (cyclic cubic, non-Galois totally real cubic, complex cubic or pure cubic) $G$ can occur, and if so, whether it can occur infinitely often or not. Moreover, if it occurs, we provide elliptic curves $E/\Q$ together with cubic fields $K$ so that $G= E(K)_{tors}$.
We study rational points and torsion points on Drinfeld modular curves defined over rational function fields. As a consequence we derive a conjecture of Schweizer describing completely the torsion of Drinfeld modules of rank two over $\Bbb F_2(T)$ implying Poonen's uniform boundedness conjecture in this particular case.
Let $E$ be an elliptic curve defined over $\mathbb{Q}$, and let $\mathbb{Q}^{ab}$ be the maximal abelian extension of $\mathbb{Q}$. In this article we classify the groups that can arise as $E(\mathbb{Q}^{ab})_{\text{tors}}$ up to isomorphism. The method illustrates techniques for finding explicit models of modular curves of mixed level structure. Moreover we provide an explicit algorithm to compute $E(\mathbb{Q}^{ab})_{\text{tors}}$ for any elliptic curve $E/\mathbb{Q}$.
We introduce a qualitative conjecture, in the spirit of Campana, to the effect that certain subsets of rational points on a variety over a number field, or a Deligne-Mumford stack over a ring of S-integers, cannot be Zariski dense. The conjecture interpolates, in a way that we make precise, between Lang's conjecture for rational points on varieties of general type over number fields, and the conjecture of Lang and Vojta that asserts that S-integral points on a variety of logarithmic general type are not Zariski-dense. We show our conjecture follows from Vojta's conjecture. Assuming our conject…
In this paper, we give an explicit formula as well as a practical algorithm for computing the Cassels-Tate pairing on $\text{Sel}^{2}(J) \times \text{Sel}^{2}(J)$ where $J$ is the Jacobian variety of a genus two curve under the assumption that all points in $J[2]$ are $K$-rational. We also give an explicit formula for the Obstruction map $\text{Ob}: H^1(G_K, J[2]) \rightarrow \text{Br}(K)$ under the same assumption. Finally, we include a worked example demonstrating we can indeed improve the rank bound given by a 2-descent via computing the Cassels-Tate pairing.
Recently there has been much interest in studying the torsion subgroups of elliptic curves base-extended to infinite extensions of $\mathbb{Q}$. In this paper, given a finite group $G$, we study what happens with the torsion of an elliptic curve $E$ over $\mathbb{Q}$ when changing base to the compositum of all number fields with Galois group $G$. We do this by studying a group theoretic condition called generalized $G$-type, which is a necessary condition for a number field with Galois group $H$ to be contained in that compositum. In general, group theory allows one to reduce the original prob…
In this paper, we explicitly classify the minimal discriminants of all elliptic curves $E/\mathbb{Q}$ with a non-trivial torsion subgroup. This is done by considering various parameterized families of elliptic curves with the property that they parameterize all elliptic curves $E/\mathbb{Q}$ with a non-trivial torsion point. We follow this by giving admissible change of variables, which give a global minimal model for $E$. We also provide necessary and sufficient conditions on the parameters of these families to determine the primes at which $E$ has additive reduction. In addition, we use thes…
Let $\ell$ be an odd prime and $d$ a positive integer. We determine when there exists a degree-$d$ number field $K$ and an elliptic curve $E/K$ with $j(E)\in\mathbb{Q}\setminus\{0,1728\}$ for which $E(K)_{\mathrm{tors}}$ contains a point of order $\ell$. We also determine when there exists such a pair $(K,E)$ for which the image of the associated mod-$\ell$ Galois representation is contained in a Cartan subgroup or its normalizer, conditionally on a conjecture of Sutherland. We do the same under the stronger assumption that $E$ is defined over $\mathbb{Q}$.
In this paper, we formulate the Drinfeld module analogue of a question raised by Lang and studied by Katz on the existence of rational points on abelian varieties over number fields. Given a maximal ideal $\fl$ of $\F_q[T]$, the question essentially asks whether, up to isogeny, a Drinfeld module $ϕ$ over $\F_q(T)$ contains a rational $\fl$-torsion point if the reduction of $ϕ$ at almost all primes of $\F_q[T]$ contains a rational $\fl$-torsion point. Similar to the case of abelian varieties, we show that the answer is positive if the rank of the Drinfeld module is $2$, but negative if the rank…
In this article, we determine the structure of the $p$-primary subgroup of the cuspidal rational torsion subgroup of the Jacobian $J_1(p^n)$ of the modular curve $X_1(p^n)$ for a regular prime $p$.
Let $A$ be an elliptic curve over $\Q$ of square free conductor $N$. We prove that if $A$ has a rational torsion point of prime order $r$ such that $r$ does not divide $6N$, then $r$ divides the order of the cuspidal subgroup of $J_0(N)$.
Let $E$ be an elliptic curve defined over $\mathbb Q$. Let $Γ$ be a subgroup of $E(\mathbb Q)$ and $P\in E(\mathbb Q)$. In [1], it was proved that if $E$ has no nontrivial rational torsion points, then $P\inΓ$ if and only if $P\in Γ$ mod $p$ for finitely many primes $p$. In this note, assuming the General Riemann Hypothesis, we provide an explicit upper bound on these primes when $E$ does not have complex multiplication and either $E$ is a semistable curve or $E$ has no exceptional prime.