Using a multidimensional large sieve inequality, we obtain a bound for the mean square error in the Chebotarev theorem for division fields of elliptic curves that is as strong as what is implied by the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis. As an application we prove a theorem to the effect that, according to height, almost all elliptic curves are Serre curves, where a Serre curve is an elliptic curve whose torsion subgroup, roughly speaking, has as much Galois symmetry as possible.
A 1979 letter from John Tate to Jean-Pierre Serre in which the author describes an efficient and elegant algorithm for computing local heights on elliptic curves.
For several congruence subgroups of low levels and their conjugates, we derive differential equations satisfied by the Eisenstein series of weight 4 and relate them to elliptic curves, whose associated new forms of weight 2 constitute the list of Martin and Ono of new forms given by eta-products/quotients.
Let $E$ be an elliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$ such that $\mathrm{End}_{\bar{\mathbb{Q}}}(E)=\mathbb{Z}$ and which admits a non-trivial cyclic $\mathbb{Q}$-isogeny. We prove that, for $p>37$, the residual mod $p$ Galois representation $\barρ_{E,p}:G_{\mathbb{Q}}\rightarrow\mathrm{GL}_2(\mathbb{F}_p)$ is surjective.
Let $K$ be a totally real field, and let $S$ be a finite set of non-archimedean places of $K$. It follows from the work of Merel, Momose and David that there is a constant $B_{K,S}$ so that if $E$ is an elliptic curve defined over $K$, semistable outside $S$, then for all $p>B_{K,S}$, the representation $\barρ_{E,p}$ is irreducible. We combine this with modularity and level lowering to show the existence of an effectively computable constant $C_{K,S}$, and an effectively computable set of elliptic curves over $K$ with CM $E_1,\dotsc,E_n$ such that the following holds. If $E$ is an elliptic cur…
Let $E$ be an elliptic curve over the rationals that does not have complex multiplication. For each prime $\ell$, the action of the absolute Galois group on the $\ell$-torsion points of $E$ can be given in terms of a Galois representation $ρ_{E,\ell}\colon \operatorname{Gal}(\bar{\mathbb{Q}}/\mathbb{Q}) \to GL_2(\mathbb{F}_\ell)$. An important theorem of Serre says that $ρ_{E,\ell}$ is surjective for all sufficiently large $\ell$. In this paper, we describe a simple algorithm based on Serre's proof that can quickly determine the finite set of primes $\ell$ for which $ρ_{E,\ell}$ is not surject…
For $E/K$ an elliptic curve without complex multiplication we bound the index of the image of $\operatorname{Gal}(\bar{K}/K)$ in $\operatorname{GL}_2(\hat{\mathbb{Z}})$, the representation being given by the action on the Tate modules of $E$ at the various primes. The bound is effective and only depends on $[K:\mathbb{Q}]$ and on the stable Faltings height of $E$. We also prove a result relating the structure of subgroups of $\operatorname{GL}_2(\mathbb{Z}_\ell)$ to certain Lie algebras naturally attached to them.
Let $f(z)=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} a_f(n)e^{2πi n z}$ be a non-CM holomorphic cupsidal newform of trivial nebentypus and even integral level $k\geq 2$. Deligne's proof of the Weil conjectures shows that $|a_f(p)|\leq 2p^{\frac{k-1}{2}}$ for all primes $p$. We prove for 100% of primes $p$ that $2p^{\frac{k-1}{2}}\frac{\log\log p}{\sqrt{\log p}}<|a_f(p)|<\lfloor 2p^{\frac{k-1}{2}}\rfloor$. Our proof gives an effective upper bound for the size of the exceptional set. The lower bound shows that the Atkin-Serre conjecture is satisfied for 100% of primes, and the upper bound shows that $|a_f(p)|$ is as l…
We consider the reduction of an elliptic curve defined over the rational numbers modulo primes in a given arithmetic progression and investigate how often the subgroup of rational points of this reduced curve is cyclic as a special case of Serre's Cyclicity Conjecture.
Suppose that $E$ is an elliptic curve defined over $\mathbb{Q}$ without complex multiplication and with conductor $N$. For each positive integer $m$, the action of the absolute Galois group $G_{\mathbb{Q}}=\operatorname{Gal}(\bar{\mathbb{Q}}/\mathbb{Q})$ on the torsion points over $\bar{\mathbb{Q}}$ gives rise to a representation of $G_\mathbb{Q}$. A celebrated paper of Serre shows that this representation is surjective for all sufficiently large primes; the other primes are termed \emph{exceptional}. Serre conjectures that there are no exceptional primes $\ell>37$ for any non CM elliptic curv…
We show that if $E/\mathbb{Q}$ is an elliptic curve without complex multiplication and for which there is a prime $q$ such that the image of $\barρ_{E,q}$ is contained in the normaliser of a split Cartan subgroup of $\rm{GL}_2(\mathbb{F}_q)$, then $\barρ_{E,p}$ surjects onto $\rm{GL}_2(\mathbb{F}_p)$ for every prime $p>37$. This result complements a previous result by the author. We also prove analogue results for certain families of $\mathbb{Q}$-curves, building on results of Ellenberg (2004) and Le Fourn (2016).
Let E be an elliptic curve over the rationals without complex multiplication. The absolute Galois group of Q acts on the group of torsion points of E, and this action can be expressed in terms of a Galois representation rho_E:Gal(Qbar/Q) \to GL_2(Zhat). A renowned theorem of Serre says that the image of rho_E is open, and hence has finite index, in GL_2(Zhat). We give the first general bounds of this index in terms of basic invariants of E. For example, the index can be bounded by a polynomial function of the logarithmic height of the j-invariant of E. As an application of our bounds, we settl…
Given an elliptic curve $E$ over a number field $K$, the $\ell$-torsion points $E[\ell]$ of $E$ define a Galois representation $\gal(\bar{K}/K) \to \gl_2(\ff_\ell)$. A famous theorem of Serre states that as long as $E$ has no Complex Multiplication (CM), the map $\gal(\bar{K}/K) \to \gl_2(\ff_\ell)$ is surjective for all but finitely many $\ell$. We say that a prime number $\ell$ is exceptional (relative to the pair $(E,K)$) if this map is not surjective. Here we give a new bound on the largest exceptional prime, as well as on the product of all exceptional primes of $E$. We show in particular…
This note presents explicit equations (up to birational equivalence over $\mathbb{F}_2$) for a complete, smooth, absolutely irreducible curve $X$ over $\mathbb{F}_2$ of genus $50$ satisfying $#X(\mathbb{F}_2)=40$. In his 1985 Harvard lecture notes on curves over finite fields, J-P.~Serre already showed the existence of such a curve: he used class field theory to describe the function field $\mathbb{F}_2(X)$ as a certain abelian extension of the function field $\mathbb{F}_2(E)$ of some elliptic curve $E/\mathbb{F}_2$. Although various more recent texts recall Serre's construction, explicit equa…
Kaneko and Sakai recently observed that certain elliptic curves whose associated newforms (by the modularity theorem) are given by the eta-quotients can be characterized by a particular differential equation involving modular forms and Ramanujan-Serre differential operator. In this paper, we study certain properties of modular parametrizations associated to the elliptic curves over Q, and as a consequence we generalize and explain some of their findings.
We derive asymptotically optimal 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 attached to elliptic curves and Drinfeld modules, due to Serre and Pink-Ruetsche, respectively. Our approach is to prove a general result for certain Galois modules, which applies simultaneously to elliptic curves and to Drinfeld modules.
We present an algorithm to determine if the $L$-series associated to an automorphic representation and the one associated to an elliptic curve over an imaginary quadratic field agree. By the work of Harris-Soudry-Taylor, Taylor and Berger-Harcos (cf. \cite{harris-taylor}, \cite{taylorII} and \cite{berger-harcos}) we can associate to an automorphic representation a family of compatible $p$-adic representations. Our algorithm is based on Faltings-Serre's method to prove that $p$-adic Galois representations are isomorphic.
Let p be a prime and K be a number field. Let rho_{E,p}:G_K \longrightarrow Aut(T_p E)\cong GL_2(Z_p) be the Galois representation given by the Galois action on the p-adic Tate module of an elliptic curve E over K. Serre showed that the image of rho_{E,p} is open if E has no complex multiplication. For an elliptic curve E over K whose j-invariant does not appear in an exceptional finite set, we give an explicit uniform lower bound of the size of the image of rho_{E,p}.
Let $E$ be an elliptic curve without CM that is defined over a number field $K$. For all but finitely many nonarchimedean places $v$ of $K$ there is the reduction $E(v)$ of $E$ at $v$ that is an elliptic curve over the residue field $k(v)$ at $v$. The set of $v$'s with ordinary $E(v)$ has density 1 (Serre). For such $v$ the endomorphism ring $End(E(v))$ of $E(v)$ is an order in an imaginary quadratic field. We prove that for any pair of relatively prime positive integers $N$ and $M$ there are infinitely many nonarchimedean places $v$ of $K$ such that the discriminant $Δ(v)$ of $End(E(v))$ is d…
In this article we perform an extensive study of the spaces of automorphic forms for GL(2) of weight two and level N, for N an ideal in the ring of integers of the quartic CM field generated by the twelfth roots of unity. This study is conducted through the computation of the group cohomology of the congruence subgroup of upper triangular matrices modulo N, and the corresponding Hecke action which this space admits. Combining this Hecke data with the Faltings-Serre method for proving equivalence of Galois representations, we are able to provide the first known examples of modular elliptic curv…
There is a modular curve X'(6) of level 6 defined over Q whose Q-rational points correspond to j-invariants of elliptic curves E over Q for which Q(E[2]) is a subfield of Q(E[3]). In this note we characterize the j-invariants of elliptic curves with this property by exhibiting an explicit model of X'(6). Our motivation is two-fold: on the one hand, X'(6) belongs to the list of modular curves which parametrize non-Serre curves (and is not well-known), and on the other hand, X'(6)(Q) gives an infinite family of examples of elliptic curves with non-abelian "entanglement fields," which is relevant…
A theorem of Serre states that almost all plane conics over $\mathbb{Q}$ have no rational point. We prove an analogue of this for families of conics parametrised by elliptic curves using elliptic divisibility sequences and a version of the Selberg sieve for elliptic curves. We also give more general results for specialisations of Brauer groups, which yields applications to norm form equations.
Given an elliptic curve $E$ without complex multiplication defined over a number field $K$, consider the image of the Galois representation defined by letting Galois act on the torsion of $E$. Serre's open image theorem implies that there is a positive integer $m$ for which the Galois image is completely determined by its reduction modulo $m$. In this note, we prove a bound on the smallest such $m$ in terms of standard invariants associated with $E$. The bound is sharp and improves upon previous results.
Let k be a field of characteristic different from 2. There can be an obstruction for an indecomposable principally polarized abelian threefold (A,a) over k to be a Jacobian over k. It can be computed in terms of the rationality of the square root of the value of a certain Siegel modular form. We show how to do this explicitly for principally polarized abelian threefolds which are the third power of an elliptic curve with complex multiplication. We use our numeric results to prove or refute the existence of some optimal curves of genus 3.
We unconditionally determine $I_\Q(d)$, the set of possible prime degrees of cyclic $K$-isogneies of elliptic curves with $\Q$-rational $j$-invariants and without complex multiplication over number fields $K$ of degree $\leq d$, for $d\leq 7$, and give an upper bound for $I_\Q(d)$ for $d>7$. Assuming Serre's uniformity conjecture, we determine $I_\Q(d)$ exactly for all positive integers $d$.
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.
Consider a non-CM elliptic curve $E$ defined over $\mathbb{Q}$. For each prime $\ell$, there is a representation $ρ_{E,\ell}: G \to GL_2(\mathbb{F}_\ell)$ that describes the Galois action on the $\ell$-torsion points of $E$, where $G$ is the absolute Galois group of $\mathbb{Q}$. A famous theorem of Serre says that $ρ_{E,\ell}$ is surjective for all large enough $\ell$. We will describe all known, and conjecturally all, pairs $(E,\ell)$ such that $ρ_{E,\ell}$ is not surjective. Together with another paper, this produces an algorithm that given an elliptic curve $E/\mathbb{Q}$, outputs the set …
The Shafarevich-Tate and Selmer groups arise in the context of Kummer theory for elliptic curves. The finiteness of the Shafarevich-Tate group of an elliptic curve $E$ over the field of rational numbers is included in the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjectures, and is still an open question. We present an overview of the Shafarevich-Tate and Selmer groups of an elliptic curve in the framework of Galois cohomology. Known results on the finiteness of the Shafarevich-Tate group are mentioned, including results of Coates and Wiles, Rubin, Gross and Zagier, and Kolyvagin. We then prove the vanishing…
This paper focuses on the proof of Serge Lang's Heights Conjecture in a form that is completely effective. As a complementary result the author provides a new proof of Mazur-Merel theorem about a bound for the torsion of elliptic curves in terms of the degree of the ground field and improves the known result by providing a small polynomial bound in terms of this degree. (Submitted)
We say a closed point $x$ on a curve $C$ is sporadic if there are only finitely many points on $C$ of degree at most deg$(x)$. In the case where $C$ is the modular curve $X_1(N)$, most known examples of sporadic points come from elliptic curves with complex multiplication (CM). We seek to understand all sporadic points on $X_1(N)$ corresponding to $\mathbb{Q}$-curves, which are elliptic curves isogenous to their Galois conjugates. This class contains not only all CM elliptic curves, but also any elliptic curve $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$-isogenous to one with a rational $j$-invariant, among others…
Inspired by the analogy between the group of units $\mathbb{F}_p^{\times}$ of the finite field with $p$ elements and the group of points $E(\mathbb{F}_p)$ of an elliptic curve $E/\mathbb{F}_p$, E. Kowalski, A. Akbary & D. Ghioca, and T. Freiberg & P. Kurlberg investigated the asymptotic behaviour of elliptic curve sums analogous to the Titchmarsh divisor sum $\sum_{p \leq x} τ(p + a) \sim C x$. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study of the constants $C(E)$ emerging in the asymptotic study of these elliptic curve divisor sums. Specifically, by analyzing the division fields of an ellipt…
In this paper, as a result of a theorem of Serre on congruence properties, a complete solution is given for an open question (see the text) presented recently by Kim, Koo and Park. Some further questions and results on similar types of congruence properties of elliptic curves are also presented and discussed.
If $E$ is an elliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$, then it follows from work of Serre and Hooley that, under the assumption of the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis, the density of primes $p$ such that the group of $\mathbb{F}_p$-rational points of the reduced curve $\tilde{E}(\mathbb{F}_p)$ is cyclic can be written as an infinite product $\prod δ_\ell$ of local factors $δ_\ell$ reflecting the degree of the $\ell$-torsion fields, multiplied by a factor that corrects for the entanglements between the various torsion fields. We show that this correction factor can be interpreted as a character sum, and…
The main result of this paper is to extend from $\Q$ to each of the nine imaginary quadratic fields of class number one a result of Serre (1987) and Mestre-Oesterlé (1989), namely that if $E$ is an elliptic curve of prime conductor then either $E$ or a $2$-, $3$- or $5$-isogenous curve has prime discriminant. For four of the nine fields, the theorem holds with no change, while for the remaining five fields the discriminant of a curve with prime conductor is either prime or the square of a prime. The proof is conditional in two ways: first that the curves are modular, so are associated to suita…
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 …
Let $F/F_0$ be a quadratic extension of totally real number fields, and let $E$ be an elliptic curve over $F$ which is isogenous to its Galois conjugate over $F_0$. A quadratic extension $M/F$ is said to be almost totally complex (ATC) if all archimedean places of $F$ but one extend to a complex place of $M$. The main goal of this note is to provide a new construction of a supply of Darmon-like points on $E$, which are conjecturally defined over certain ring class fields of $M$. These points are constructed by means of an extension of Darmon's ATR method to higher dimensional modular abelian v…
Let $A/\mathbb{Q}$ be an abelian variety of dimension $g\geq 1$ that is isogenous over $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$ to $E^g$, where $E$ is an elliptic curve. If $E$ does not have complex multiplication (CM), by results of Ribet and Elkies concerning fields of definition of elliptic $\mathbb{Q}$-curves $E$ is isogenous to a curve defined over a polyquadratic extension of $\mathbb{Q}$. We show that one can adapt Ribet's methods to study the field of definition of $E$ up to isogeny also in the CM case. We find two applications of this analysis to the theory of Sato--Tate groups: First, we show that $1…
We investigate the number of curves having a rational point of almost minimal height in the family of quadratic twists of a given elliptic curve. This problem takes its origin in the work of Hooley, who asked this question in the setting of real quadratic fields. In particular, he showed an asymptotic estimate for the number of such fields with almost minimal fundamental unit. Our main result establishes the analogue asymptotic formula in the setting of quadratic twists of a fixed elliptic curve.
For a non-CM elliptic curve $E$ over the rationals, the Galois action on its torsion points can be expressed in terms of a Galois representation $ρ_E : G \to GL_2(\hat{\mathbb{Z}})$, where $G$ is the absolute Galois group of the rationals. A well-known theorem of Serre says that the image of $ρ_E$ is open and hence has finite index in $GL_2(\hat{\mathbb{Z}})$. We will study what indices are possible assuming that we are willing to exclude a finite number of possible $j$-invariants from consideration. For example, we will show that there is a finite set $J$ of rational numbers such that if $E/\…
Let $E$ be an elliptic curve defined over $\mathbb{Q}$, and let $ρ_E\colon {\rm Gal}(\overline{\mathbb{Q}}/\mathbb{Q})\to {\rm GL}(2,\widehat{ \mathbb{Z} })$ be the adelic representation associated to the natural action of Galois on the torsion points of $E(\overline{\mathbb{Q}})$. By a theorem of Serre, the image of $ρ_{E}$ is open, but the image is always of index at least $2$ in ${\rm GL}(2,\widehat{\mathbb{Z}})$ due to a certain quadratic entanglement amongst division fields. In this paper, we study other types of abelian entanglements. More concretely, we classify the elliptic curves $E/\…
Let $E$ be an elliptic curve over $\Q$ without complex multiplication, and which is not isogenous to a curve with non-trivial rational torsion. For each prime $p$ of good reduction, let $|E(\F_p)|$ be the order of the group of points of the reduced curve over $\F_p$. We prove in this paper that, under the GRH, there are at least $2.778 C_E^{\rm twin} x / (\log{x})^2$ primes $p$ such that $|E(\F_p)|$ has at most 8 prime factors, counted with multiplicity. This improves previous results of Steuding & Weng and Murty & Miri. This is also the first result where the dependence on the conjectural con…
