Scribd
Upload
25 views3 pages

Paper 26

The document is an exam paper on elliptic curves containing 4 questions. Question 1 covers the group law on elliptic curves and computing points on specific curves. Question 2 covers properties of curves of the form y^2=x^3-D^2x. Question 3 asks about formal groups and classifying them over finite extensions of Qp. Question 4 offers essay topics on Galois cohomology/heights and their application to Mordell-Weil theorems.

Uploaded by

Kaustubh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
25 views3 pages

Paper 26

The document is an exam paper on elliptic curves containing 4 questions. Question 1 covers the group law on elliptic curves and computing points on specific curves. Question 2 covers properties of curves of the form y^2=x^3-D^2x. Question 3 asks about formal groups and classifying them over finite extensions of Qp. Question 4 offers essay topics on Galois cohomology/heights and their application to Mordell-Weil theorems.

Uploaded by

Kaustubh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

MATHEMATICAL TRIPOS Part III

Thursday, 4 June, 2009 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

PAPER 26

ELLIPTIC CURVES

Attempt ALL questions.


There are FOUR questions in total.
The questions carry equal weight.

STATIONERY REQUIREMENTS SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS


Cover sheet None
Treasury Tag
Script paper

You may not start to read the questions


printed on the subsequent pages until
instructed to do so by the Invigilator.
2

1 (a) Describe the group law on an elliptic curve in terms of the chord and tangent
process. Prove that the group law is associative.
(b) Let E be an elliptic curve of the form

y 2 + axy + by = x3 + bx2

where the discriminant ∆ = −b3 (16b2 + (8a2 − 36a + 27)b + a4 − a3 ) is non-zero. Let P
be the point (x, y) = (0, 0). Compute the points ±2P and ±3P . Deduce that 5P = 0E if
and only if a = b + 1.
(c) Give examples of elliptic curves over Q with rational points of orders 4, 5 and 6.

2 Let ED be the elliptic curve over Q given by the Weierstrass equation

y 2 = x3 − D 2 x

with discriminant ∆ = 64D 6 , where D is an odd integer.


(a) Determine the set of primes of bad reduction for ED .
(b) For p a prime of good reduction we write #E eD (Fp ) = 1 + p − ap . Show that
ap = 0 if and only if p ≡ 3 (mod 4). State Hasse’s bound for ap .
(c) Prove that E5 (Q) ∼
= (Z/2Z)2 × Z.
(d) Use the identity (x2 − D2 )2 + (2xD)2 = (x2 + D 2 )2 to show there are infinitely
many right-angled triangles with rational side lengths and area 5.

3 What is a formal group? Write down a condition in terms of the leading coefficient
for a homomorphism of formal groups to be an isomorphism.
Let K be a finite extension of Qp with ring of integers OK and maximal ideal πOK .
State and prove a theorem classifying formal groups over K. Deduce that if F is a formal
group over OK then F(πOK ) contains a subgroup of finite index isomorphic to OK under
addition.

Part III, Paper 26


3

4 EITHER
Write an essay on Galois cohomology and its application to the proof of the weak
Mordell-Weil theorem.
OR
Write an essay on heights and their application to the proof of the Mordell-Weil
theorem.

END OF PAPER

Part III, Paper 26

You might also like