Warning: The next part uses modular form language thatof this answer addresses the question of whether similar
formulas exist for other powers of $\Delta$. I am not completely comfortable withwill interpret
"similar" as "a polynomial in the $x$ and $y$-coordinates of the
$N$-torsion points".
The computation with cross ratios shows that there areFor a modular form $A$$\phi$ of weight $k$, and $B$ such$g = \left[
\begin{smallmatrix} a&b \\ c&d \end{smallmatrix} \right]$ in
$SL_2(\mathbb{Z})$, let $(g^{\ast} \phi)(z) = (cz+d)^{-k} \phi\left(
\tfrac{az+b}{cz+d} \right)$.
Recall that the three values of $x_i x_j + x_k x_{\ell}$ are of$\Delta^{1/24}$ is the form $A + \zeta B$Dedekind $\eta$ function, for $\zeta$ running over the cube rootswhich is a modular form of weight $1$$1/2$. I think it shouldn'tfind $1/2$ integer weights confusing, so I'll only look at even powers of $\eta$. Thus, I'll be bad to show thatasking whether $A$$\Delta^{k/12} = \eta^{2k}$ could be a polynomial in $x$ and $B$ are modular forms of level$y$-coordinates. Note that $3$ and$\Delta^{k/12}$ has weight $4$$k$. I don't
For any $g \in SL_2(\mathbb{Z})$, we have $g^{\ast} \eta^2 = \chi(g)
\eta^2$, where $\chi$ is a conceptual explanationcharacter from $SL_2(\mathbb{Z})$ to the
twelfth roots of unity, an explicit formula for whywhich can be found in
the Wikipedia article linked before. So $B$ should$g^{\ast}
\Delta^{k/12} = \chi(g)^k \Delta^{k/12}$.
Note that $\chi$ factors through the quotient $SL_2(\mathbb{Z}/12
\mathbb{Z})$.
Lemma For $1 \leq k \leq 12$, let $\phi$ be a cusp form but, if you believe itof weight
$k$ (and some level) obeying $g^{\ast} \phi = \chi(g)^k \phi$. Then
$\phi$ is, then I think it must be a scalar multiple of $\Delta^{1/3}$$\Delta^{k/12}$.
AsProof: Since $\Delta^{1/12}$ is nowhere vanishing on the upper
half plane, the ratio $\phi / \Delta^{k/12}$ is holomorphic, and is
invariant for other$SL_2(\mathbb{Z})$. Therefore, it is a polynomial in
$j$, and we have $\phi = \Delta^{k/12} \sum_{e=0}^d c_e j^e$ for some
polynomial in $j$. But, looking at $q$ series, the leading term of the
right hand side is $c_d q^{k/12 - d}$, and the leading power of $\Delta$$q$ on
the left hand side is positive, so $d$ must be $0$. $\square$
Now, let $\psi$ be a modular form of weight $1 \leq k \leq 11$. Let
$N$ be the LCM of $12$ and the level of $\psi$. Define
$$R \psi = \sum_{g \in SL_2(\mathbb{Z}/N \mathbb{Z})} \chi(g)^k g^{\ast} \psi.$$
(Since $12$ divides $N$, it makes sense to evaluate $\chi$ on
$SL_2(\mathbb{Z}/N \mathbb{Z})$; since the level of $\psi$ divides
$N$, it makes sense to talk about $g^{\ast} \psi$ similarly.)
Then $R \psi$ will be a modular form of the same weight $k$, obeying
$g^{\ast} \phi = \chi(g)^k \phi$. I thinkclaim furthermore that it will be
a cusp form. Proof: Let $\Delta^{1/6}$$\Gamma'$ be the kernel of $\chi$. A set of
coset representatives $SL_2(\mathbb{Z}/N \mathbb{Z})/\Gamma'$ is given
by $\left[ \begin{smallmatrix} 1 & x \\ 0 & 1 \\ \end{smallmatrix}
\right]$ for $0 \leq x \leq 11$. So write the sum as
$$\sum_{x=0}^{11} \chi\left( \begin{smallmatrix} 1 & x \\ 0 & 1 \\
\end{smallmatrix} \right)^k \left[ \begin{smallmatrix} 1 & x \\ 0 & 1 \\ \end{smallmatrix}
\right]^{\ast} \sum_{g \in \Gamma'/\Gamma(N)} g^{\ast} \phi.$$
The inner sum is a cuspmodular form for $\Gamma(6)$$\Gamma'$, which has only one
cusp. The action of $ \left[ \begin{smallmatrix} 1 & x \\ 0 & 1 \\ \end{smallmatrix}
\right]$ takes that cusp to itself. So the value of the whole sum at
that cusp is $\sum_{x=0}^{11} \chi\left( \begin{smallmatrix} 1 & x \\ 0 & 1 \\
\end{smallmatrix} \right)^k$ times the value of the inner sum at the
cusp, and that inner sum is $0$.
So, if $\psi$ is any modular form of weight $2$$1 \leq k \leq 11$, then
$R \psi$ is a scalar multiple of $\Delta^{k/12}$. TheOf course, that
scalar might be $0$, but we can hope!
We now want to know that the $x$-coordinates of the $6$$N$-torsion points (including theare
modular forms of level $N$ and weight $2$, and the $y$-torsioncoordinates are
modular forms of level $N$ and weight $3$.
So we can take a polynomial in $x$'s and $y$'s of appropriate weight,
apply the $R$-operator and hope.
If we are going to have a chance, we better make sure the level is
high enough. $\Delta^{k/12}$ has level $\tfrac{12}{GCD(k,12)}$, so we
should take $N$ divisible by this. The most obvious thing to try is to
take $N = \tfrac{12}{GCD(k,12)}$.
We identify the $N$-torsion points with $(\mathbb{Z}/N
\mathbb{Z})^2$. For $(a,b) \in (\mathbb{Z}/N
\mathbb{Z})^2$, we denote the coordinates of the corresponding torsion
point as $(x(a,b), y(a,b))$. Note that the action of
$SL_2(\mathbb{Z}/N \mathbb{Z})$ on $x(a,b)$ and $y(a,b)$ is precisely
the action on the vectors $(a,b)$. (Row or column vectors? I don't
feel like working that hard.) should be related
I'll present cases in order of complexity:
$k=6$: $\Delta^{1/2}$ has level $2$, so we work with $2$-torsion
points. We want a polynomial of weight $6$, so we try cubics in the
$x$-variables. Applying $R$ to modular forms for $\Gamma(6)$$x(1,0)^2 x(0,1)$, we obtain
$$x(1,0)^2 x(0,1) + x(0,1)^2 x(1,1) + x(1,1)^2 x(1,0)-x(0,1)^2 x(1,0)
- x(1,1)^2 x(0,1) - x(1,0)^2 x(1,1)$$
$$=(x(1,0) - x(0,1)) (x(1,0) - x(1,1)) (x(0,1) - x(1,1)).$$
Sure enough,
$$\Delta = (x(1,0) - x(0,1))^2 (x(1,0) - x(1,1))^2 (x(0,1) -
x(1,1))^2.$$
This is far from the shortest way to obtain this identity, but it
works.
$k=4$ This is the one the OP started with. This time, $\Delta^{1/3}$
has level $3$, so we work with $3$-torsion points. We want a
polynomial of weight $2$$4$, so maybewe try quadratics in the $x$-variables.
We have $x(a,b) = x(-a,-b)$, so we index the $x$-variables by the
points of $\mathbb{P}^1(\mathbb{F}_3)$, written in homogenous
coordinates $x(a:b)$.
The action of $SL_2(\mathbb{Z})$ on the $4$ points of
$\mathbb{P}^1(\mathbb{F}_3)$ is by the alternating subgroup $A_4$. So
we want to take a quadratic monomial, $x(1:0) x(0:1)$ and average it
with an order $3$ character of $A_4$. Writing $\omega$ for a cube root
of unity, and not working hard enough to figure out which one I mean,
we get that $\Delta^{1/3}$ is proportional to
$$\left( x(1:0) x(0:1) + x(1:1) x(1:2) \right) + \omega \left( x(1:0)
x(1:1) + x(0:1) x(1:2) \right) + \omega^2 \left( x(1:0) x(1:2) +
x(0:1) x(1:1) \right)$$
as desired. Something else cute happens here: If we chose the other
power of $\omega$, we get $0$. So we can find some cleveruse this to rewrite the
formula in simpler ways.
$k=1$ No monomial in $x$'s and $y$'s can have weight $1$.
$k=2$ or $k=3$. So we want linear monomials in $x$'s or
$y$'s. However, every torsion point is stabilized by some conjugate of
$\left[ \begin{smallmatrix} 1 & \ast \\ 0 & 1 \\ \end{smallmatrix}
\right]$, and averaging over this stabilizing subgroup gives $0$, so
we just get $0$ if we apply $R$ to any $x(a,b)$ or $y(a,b)$. (François
Brunault, in comments, states that something stronger is true: No
linear combination of $x$'s or $y$'s is ever a cusp form. I think I've
reconstructed the proof, but I'll leave it to him.)
That finishes the divisors of $12$. Also, $8=4+4$ and $10=4+6$, so
$\Delta^{8/12}$ and $\Delta^{10/12}$ are products of things we already
have. There are two other cases I find interesting: $k=5$ and
$k=9$. (The case $k=7$ seems like just a messier version of $k=5$, and $11 =
5+6$, which is why I don't care so much about them.)
$k=5$: We want $12$-torsion points, and we want weight $5$, so we want
products of an $x$ and a $y$. If I didn't screw up, if $(a,b)$ and
$(c,d)$ fail to generate $(\mathbb{Z}/12 \mathbb{Z})^2$, then $R
x(a,b) y(c,d)=0$. However, if they generate, then the result sure
doesn't look like zero! I get that
$$\sum_{\left[ \begin{smallmatrix} a&b \\ c&d \\
\end{smallmatrix} \right] \in SL_2(\mathbb{Z}/12 \mathbb{Z}) }
\chi \left( \begin{smallmatrix} a&b \\ c&d \end{smallmatrix} \right)^5 x(a,b) y(c,d)$$
should be a scalar multiple of $\Delta^{5/12}$! Does anyone have the
computational chops to work out which equalsone?
$k=9$ This time, we can try $\Delta^{1/6}$$4$-torsion points and polynomials of
weight $9$. There are a lot of choices, but I think a very natural one
to try is $y(1,0) y(0,1) y(3,3)$. Using the identity $y(a,b) = - y(-a,
-b)$, there are only $8$ terms, which I think are the following:
$$y(0,1) y(1,0) y(1,1)+i y(0,1) y(1,2) y(1,1)-i y(1,0) y(2,1) y(1,1)-y(1,2) y(2,1) y(1,1)-i
y(0,1) y(1,0) y(1,3)-y(0,1) y(1,2) y(1,3)+y(1,0) y(1,3) y(2,1)+i y(1,2) y(1,3) y(2,1).$$
So, this is supposed to be a multiple of $\Delta^{3/4}$. Which one?