Questions tagged [elliptic-curves]

An elliptic curve is an algebraic curve of genus one with some additional properties. Questions with this tag will often have the top-level tags nt.number-theory or ag.algebraic-geometry. Note also the tag arithmetic-geometry as well as some related tags such as rational-points, abelian-varieties, heights. Please do not use this tag for questions related to ellipses; instead use conic-sections.

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Estimating the size of solutions of a diophantine equation

A. Is there natural numbers $a,b,c$ such that $\frac{a}{b+c} + \frac{b}{a+c} + \frac{c}{a+b}$ is equal to an odd natural number ? (I do not know any such numbers). B. Suppose that $\frac{a}{b+c} + \...
alex alexeq's user avatar
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78 votes
0 answers
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The exponent of Ш of $y^2 = x^3 + px$, where $p$ is a Fermat prime

For $d$ a non-zero integer, let $E_d$ be the elliptic curve $$ E_d : y^2 = x^3+dx. $$ When we let $d$ be $p = 2^{2^k}+1$, for $k \in \{1,2,3,4\}$, sage tells us that, conditionally on BSD, $$ \# Ш(E_p)...
R.P.'s user avatar
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75 votes
9 answers
16k views

Why is an elliptic curve a group?

Consider an elliptic curve $y^2=x^3+ax+b$. It is well known that we can (in the generic case) create an addition on this curve turning it into an abelian group: The group law is characterized by the ...
Harald Hanche-Olsen's user avatar
66 votes
0 answers
3k views

Constructing non-torsion rational points (over Q) on elliptic curves of rank > 1

Consider an elliptic curve $E$ defined over $\mathbb Q$. Assume that the rank of $E(\mathbb Q)$ is $\geq2$. (Assume the Birch-Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture if needed, so that analytic rank $=$ algebraic ...
H A Helfgott's user avatar
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64 votes
1 answer
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Is there a "classical" proof of this $j$-value congruence?

Let $j: \mathbf{C} - \mathbf{R} \rightarrow \mathbf{C}$ denote the classical $j$-function from the theory of elliptic functions. That is, $j(\tau)$ is the $j$-invariant of the elliptic curve $\mathbf{...
63 votes
3 answers
7k views

Is there a "Basic Number Theory" for elliptic curves?

Tate's thesis showed how to profitably analyze $\zeta$ functions of number fields in terms of adelic points on the multiplicative group. In particular, combining Fourier analysis and topology, Tate ...
David E Speyer's user avatar
48 votes
5 answers
10k views

Definition and meaning of the conductor of an elliptic curve

I never really understood the definition of the conductor of an elliptic curve. What I understand is that for an elliptic curve E over ℚ, End(E) is going to be (isomorphic to) ℤ or an ...
Sam Derbyshire's user avatar
39 votes
1 answer
2k views

Diophantine equation for 2016: triangular $|{\rm GL}_2({\bf F}_q)|$

For a prime power $q$ the group ${\rm GL}_2({\bf F}_q)$ has $(q^2-1)(q^2-q)$ elements. This happens to be a triangular number for $q=2$ (being $6 = 1+2+3$), and $-$ more notably, especially this year ...
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
39 votes
2 answers
3k views

$x^4+y^4$ powerful for relatively prime $x,y$

I asked this question on the NMBRTHRY mailing list on 17 February 2014, but it remains unsolved as far as I know. Recall that a "powerful number" is a positive integer whose prime ...
Noam D. Elkies's user avatar
37 votes
3 answers
5k views

Is there a nice proof of the fact that there are (p-1)/24 supersingular elliptic curves in characteristic p?

If $k$ is a characteristic $p$ field containing a subfield with $p^2$ elements (e.g., an algebraic closure of $\mathbb{F}_p$), then the number of isomorphism classes of supersingular elliptic curves ...
S. Carnahan's user avatar
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34 votes
1 answer
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Quaternionic and octonionic analogues of the Basel problem

I asked this question in MSE around 3 months ago but I have received no answer yet, so following the suggestion in the comments I decided to post it here. It is a well-known fact that $$\sum_{0\neq n\...
pregunton's user avatar
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32 votes
4 answers
5k views

Why is this "the first elliptic curve in nature"?

The LMFDB describes the elliptic curve 11a3 (or 11.a3) as "The first elliptic curve in nature". It has minimal Weierstraß equation $$ y^2 + y = x^3 - x^2. $$ My guess is that there is some ...
David Roberts's user avatar
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32 votes
4 answers
4k views

Modular curves of genus zero and normal forms for elliptic curves

This is maybe the first question I actually need to know the answer to! Let $N$ be a positive integer such that $\mathbb{H}/\Gamma(N)$ has genus zero. Then the function field of $\mathbb{H}/\Gamma(N)...
Qiaochu Yuan's user avatar
32 votes
4 answers
4k views

Over which fields does the Mordell-Weil theorem hold?

According to a well-known theorem of Mordell, the group of rational points $E(\mathbf{Q})$ of an elliptic curve $E/\mathbf{Q}$ is finitely generated. Weil generalized this theorem to abelian varieties ...
François Brunault's user avatar
31 votes
7 answers
3k views

What heuristic evidence is there concerning the unboundedness or boundedness of Mordell-Weil ranks of elliptic curves over $\Bbb Q$?

Some experts have a hunch that for any nonnegative integer $r$ there are infinitely many elliptic curves over $\Bbb Q$ with Mordell-Weil rank at least $r$. The best empirical evidence for this hunch ...
James Weigandt's user avatar
31 votes
4 answers
6k views

Is there any theory why (for Bitcoin) the discrete logarithm problem is so hard to solve?

Note I am an active member and contributor at the sister site https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com while studying Bitcoin and as a person who studied mathematics 10 years ago there is one thing I kept ...
Rene Pickhardt's user avatar
31 votes
1 answer
2k views

Do all curves have Néron models

Let $X$ be a smooth projective geometrically connected curve over a number field $K$. Assume that $g\geq 2$. Does there exist a Néron model $\mathcal X$ for $X$ over $O_K$? By a Néron model, I mean ...
Harry's user avatar
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31 votes
1 answer
5k views

Modern proof of Serre's open image theorem?

Let $E$ be an elliptic curve defined over a number field $K$ without complex multiplication. Serre's open image theorem (which appears in his book 'Abelian $l$-Adic Representations and Elliptic Curves'...
Adam Harris's user avatar
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30 votes
3 answers
3k views

Elliptic curve over a scheme is a group scheme?

In Katz's article p-adic properties of modular schemes and modular forms in the Antwerp proceedings, the following definition of an elliptic curve over a base scheme $S$ is given: By an elliptic ...
Bruno Joyal's user avatar
  • 3,860
29 votes
4 answers
8k views

Etale cohomology and l-adic Tate modules

$\newcommand{\bb}{\mathbb}\DeclareMathOperator{\gal}{Gal}$ Before stating my question I should remark that I know almost nothing about etale cohomology - all that I know, I've gleaned from hearing off ...
Jonah Sinick's user avatar
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29 votes
4 answers
2k views

Are most cubic plane curves over the rationals elliptic?

%This is a new version of the original question modified in the light of the answers and comments. The word 'most' in the title is ambiguous. The following is one way of making it precise. Question1:...
Idoneal's user avatar
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29 votes
1 answer
3k views

Is the Modularity Theorem (currently) effective?

The Modularity Theorem says every elliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$ can be gotten from the classic modular curve $X_0(N)$ by a rational map. Here $N$ is the conductor, easily calculable from a ...
Colin McLarty's user avatar
29 votes
0 answers
3k views

What are the possible singular fibers of an elliptic fibration over a higher dimensional base?

An elliptic fibration is a proper morphism $Y\rightarrow B$ between varieties such that the fiber over a general point of the base $B$ is a smooth curve of genus one. It is often required for the ...
JME's user avatar
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28 votes
2 answers
2k views

When did people start thinking of elliptic curves as groups?

I have been reading some old papers of Cassels and Selmer from around 1950, and they talk about generators of rational solutions to elliptic curves, in the sense of Mordell–Weil, but do not appear to ...
Kimball's user avatar
  • 5,709
27 votes
6 answers
4k views

Does the moduli space of smooth curves of genus g contain an elliptic curve

Let $M_g$ be the moduli space of smooth projective geometrically connected curves over a field $k$ with $g\geq 2$. Note that $M_g$ is not complete. Does $M_g$ contain an elliptic curve? The answer ...
Francesco's user avatar
  • 281
27 votes
1 answer
3k views

Fundamental group of the moduli stack of elliptic curves

I've heard that the étale fundamental group of the moduli stack of elliptic curves (over $\mathbb{Z}$) is trivial. Is there an easy proof of that? (Note that there are plenty of étale covers once one ...
Akhil Mathew's user avatar
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27 votes
2 answers
2k views

How to explicitly compute lifting of points from an elliptic curve to a modular curve?

Say $E$ is an elliptic curve over the rationals, of conductor $N$. There's a covering of $E$ by the modular curve $X_0(N)$, and if you rig it right then you can define this map over $\mathbf{Q}$: ...
Kevin Buzzard's user avatar
26 votes
7 answers
5k views

When is a product of elliptic curves isogenous to the Jacobian of a hyperelliptic curve?

David's question Families of genus 2 curves with positive rank jacobians reminded me of a question that once very much interested me: when is a product of elliptic curves isogenous to the jacobian of ...
Dror Speiser's user avatar
  • 4,563
26 votes
2 answers
1k views

Why do the $2$-Selmer ranks of $y^2 = x^3 + p^3 $ and $y^2 = x^3 - p^3 $ agree?

I was playing around with sage, when I found that the Mordell-Weil ranks (over $\mathbb{Q}$) of the elliptic curves $y^2=x^3+p^3$ and $y^2=x^3-p^3 $ almost always agree, for $p$ prime. The first few ...
Milton's user avatar
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26 votes
0 answers
526 views

Elliptic analogue of primes of the form $x^2 + 1$

I have a project in mind for an undergraduate to investigate next quarter -- a curiosity really, but I'm surprised I can't find it in the literature. I do not want a detailed analysis here... but ...
Marty's user avatar
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25 votes
1 answer
2k views

Possible counterexample to a theorem assuming Lang's conjecture

Looks like I found a counterexample to a theorem assuming Lang's conjecture, but not sure it is correct. Boundedness of Mordell–Weil ranks of certain elliptic curves and Lang’s conjecture p. 2 ...
joro's user avatar
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24 votes
6 answers
14k views

What are the recommended books for an introductory study of elliptic curves?

I am currently doing a self study on algebraic geometry but my ultimate goal is to study more on elliptic curves. Which are the most recommended textbooks I can use to study? I need something not so ...
Arap K.'s user avatar
  • 513
24 votes
4 answers
4k views

The class number formula, the BSD conjecture, and the Kronecker limit formula

If K is a number field then the Dedekind zeta function Zeta_K(s) can be written as a sum over ideal classes A of Zeta_K(s, A) = sum over ideals I in A of 1/N(I)^s. The class number formula follows ...
Jonah Sinick's user avatar
  • 6,942
24 votes
3 answers
3k views

Can the number of solutions $xy(x-y-1)=n$ for $x,y,n \in\mathbb Z$ be unbounded as $n$ varies?

Can the number of solutions $xy(x-y-1)=n$ for $x,y,n \in\mathbb Z$ be unbounded as $n$ varies? $x,y$ are integral points on an Elliptic Curve and are easy to find using enumeration of divisors of $n$ (...
jerr18's user avatar
  • 454
24 votes
3 answers
5k views

Conceptual understanding of the Gross-Zagier theorem.

The Gross-Zagier paper "Heegner points and derivatives of $L$-series", is really computational and hard to plow through. It seems it is futile to read it as such and one must look for a more ...
Regenbogen's user avatar
  • 1,407
24 votes
1 answer
875 views

Universal homotheties for elliptic curves

Let $K$ be a number field and $E_1, \cdots, E_n$ elliptic curves over $K$. Let $\ell$ be a prime. Then there exists an element $\sigma \in \text{Gal}(\overline{K}/K)$ such that $\sigma$ acts on $T_\...
Daniel Litt's user avatar
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23 votes
5 answers
9k views

Algorithms for finding rational points on an elliptic curve?

I am looking for algorithms on how to find rational points on an elliptic curve $$y^2 = x^3 + a x + b$$ where $a$ and $b$ are integers. Any sort of ideas on how to proceed are welcome. For example, ...
Andrej Bauer's user avatar
23 votes
2 answers
2k views

How can I see the relation between shtukas and the Langlands conjecture?

The following bullet points represent the very peak of my understanding of the resolution of the Langlands program for function fields. Disclaimer: I don't know what I'm writing about. Drinfeld ...
Mr. Palomar's user avatar
22 votes
11 answers
8k views

Fastest way to factor integers < 2^60

I've been running a search for Mordell curves of rank >=8 for about 12 months and have identified approximately 280,000 curves in our archivable range, amongst many millions that aren't. For this ...
Kevin Acres's user avatar
22 votes
2 answers
2k views

unboundedness of number of integral points on elliptic curves?

If $E/\mathbf{Q}$ is an elliptic curve and we put it into minimal Weierstrass form, we can count how many integral points it has. A theorem of Siegel tells us that this number $n(E)$ is finite, and ...
Kevin Buzzard's user avatar
22 votes
1 answer
2k views

Can one prove complex multiplication without assuming CFT?

The Kronecker-Weber Theorem, stating that any abelian extension of $\mathbb Q$ is contained in a cyclotomic extension, is a fairly easy consequence of Artin reciprocity in class field theory (one just ...
David Corwin's user avatar
  • 15.1k
22 votes
1 answer
721 views

Writing $3p$ when $p \equiv 1 \pmod{3}$ as a sum of two rational cubes. Is this result new? And what about its converse?

I recently discovered a proof of the following. Let $p$ be a prime that's $1 \bmod {3}$. Suppose that $p$ is not represented by the principal quadratic form $(1,9,81)$ of discriminant $-243$ (The ...
paul Monsky's user avatar
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22 votes
1 answer
2k views

Which elliptic curves over totally real fields are modular these days?

As the title says. In particular, every elliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$ is modular; but what is the current state of the art for general totally real number fields? I assume the answer is ...
David Hansen's user avatar
22 votes
0 answers
1k views

Fake CM elliptic curves

Suppose one has an elliptic curve $E$ over $\mathbb{Q}$ with conductor $N < k^3$ for some (large) positive $k$, with the property that its Fourier coefficients satisfy $$ a_p=0, \; \mbox{ for all }...
Mike Bennett's user avatar
  • 2,381
21 votes
4 answers
8k views

Integer points of an elliptic curve

Where can I found some resources to learn how to determine the integer points of given elliptic curve? I would like to learn a method based on computing the rank and the torsion group of given curve. ...
Student's user avatar
  • 241
21 votes
3 answers
7k views

A recommended roadmap to Fermat's Last Theorem

I was inspired to undertake math as a career after watching a documentary on the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem. As such it's been a small goal of mine to understand Wiles et al's proof. In a ...
Eugene's user avatar
  • 1,438
21 votes
4 answers
2k views

Does p-adic $L$- function determine the $L$ function

Let $E_1$ and $E_2$ be two Elliptic curve defined over $\mathbb Q$ . Let $p$ be an fixed given odd prime of $\mathbb Q$ at which both the curves have good ordinary reduction. Moreover p-adic $L$-...
Somnath Jha's user avatar
21 votes
2 answers
2k views

State of knowledge of $a^n+b^n=c^n+d^n$ vs. $a^n+b^n+c^n=d^n+e^n+f^n$

As far as I understand, both of the Diophantine equations $$a^5 + b^5 = c^5 + d^5$$ and $$a^6 + b^6 = c^6 + d^6$$ have no known nontrivial solutions, but $$24^5 + 28^5 + 67^5 = 3^5+64^5+62^5$$ and $$3^...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
21 votes
3 answers
858 views

Consecutive square values of cubic polynomials

Let $P(x)$ be a cubic polynomial with integer coefficients. Does there exist a constant $c$ such that at least one of the following values $P(0),P(1),...,P(c)$ is not a square? It is known that the ...
user47437's user avatar
  • 321
21 votes
2 answers
1k views

CM $j$-invariants in $p$-adic fields

I'm trying to understand the $p$-adic distribution of $j$-invariants for elliptic curves with complex multiplication. Specifically, suppose $\sigma$ is some embedding $\sigma:\overline{\mathbb Q}\to \...
Michael Griffin's user avatar

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