On the class numbers of certain number fields obtained from points on elliptic curves. III (Q645100): Difference between revisions

Let \(E\) be an elliptic curve defined over a number field \(k\), and let \(T_0\) be a \(k\)-rational point of prime order \(\ell\). Then there exists an elliptic curve \(E'\) and an isogeny \(\lambda: E \longrightarrow E'\) whose kernel is the cyclic group generated by \(T_0\). In previous articles [Osaka J. Math. 38, No. 4, 811--825 (2001; Zbl 1023.11058); ibid. 45, No. 2, 375--390 (2008; Zbl 1197.11148); see also Interdiscip. Inf. Sci. 16, No. 1, 39--43 (2010; Zbl 1253.11104)], the author showed that for a point \(Q\) on \(E'\) whose \(x\)-coordinate lies in \(k\), the ramification of the extension \(k(\lambda^{-1}(Q))/k(Q)\) depends essentially only on the reduction of \(Q\). In particular he was able to deduce sufficient criteria for this extension to be unramified. An essential tool in these articles was the following result: let \({\mathfrak p}\) be a prime ideal in \(k\). Then for a point \(Q\) on \(E'\) whose reduction mod~\({\mathfrak p}\) is nonsingular, at least one point in \(\lambda^{-1}(Q)\) has a nonsingular reduction mod~\({\mathfrak p}\). In the present paper, the author proves the converse of this result (assuming \(\ell \neq 2\) for simplicity). Specializing to \(k = {\mathbb Q}\) and \(\ell \in \{3, 5, 7\}\), the author obtains numerous families of quadratic number fields whose class number is divisible by \(\ell\), and he investigates whether all quadratic number fields with class number divisible by \(5\) arise from his construction.