Resultants and discriminants of multiplication polynomials for elliptic curves (Q2254211): Difference between revisions

Let \(E\) be an elliptic curve in normal form \(y^2=x^3+ax+b\) defined over a field \(K\) of characteristic different from 2. Let \(P=(x,y)\) be a point of \(E\), then the \(x\)-coordinate of the point \(nP\) (\(n\geqslant 1\)) is provided by the quotient \(\displaystyle{\frac{A_n(x)}{B_n(x)}}\) of two polynomials of \(K[x]\). Not much is known about \(A_n(x)\) and \(B_n(x)\) as \(n\) grows (basically their degree and a few coefficients, see \textit{D. Masser} and \textit{U. Zannier} [J. Théor. Nombres Bordx. 25, No. 3, 635--659 (2013; Zbl 1318.11076)]) and the paper deals with their resultant and the (related) discriminant of \(B_n^*\) (where \(B_n=(B_n^*)^2\), if \(n\) is odd and \(B_n=\displaystyle{\frac{(B_n^*)^2}{C}}\) with \(C(x)=x^3+ax+b\), if \(n\) is even). The main theorems state that \[ \mathrm{res}(A_n,B_n)=(16\Delta)^{\frac{n^2(n^2-1)}{6}}\;, \] \[ \mathrm{disc}(B_n^*)= (-1)^{\frac{n-1}{2}}n^{\frac{n^2-3}{2}}(16\Delta)^{\frac{(n^2-1)(n^2-3)}{24}} \quad \mathrm{if\;}n\;\mathrm{is\;odd}\;, \] \[ \mathrm{disc}(B_n^*)= (-1)^{\frac{n-2}{2}}n^{\frac{n^2}{2}}2^{-(n^2-2)}(16\Delta)^{\frac{n^2(n^2+2)}{24}}\quad \mathrm{if\;}n\;\mathrm{is\;even}\;, \] with \(\Delta=-(4a^3+27b^2)\). Analogous formulas modulo some undetermined constants were given in [\textit{J. H. Silverman}, The arithmetic of dynamical systems. New York, NY: Springer (2007; Zbl 1130.37001)] and [\textit{H. M. Stark}, Prog. Math. 26, 349--362 (1982; Zbl 0542.14010)], but the analytic techniques employed in the paper under review allow the author to provide exact formulas. Indeed it is not hard to prove general equations like \[ \mathrm{res}(A_n,B_n)= c_n\Delta^{k_n}\quad \mathrm{and} \quad \mathrm{disc}(B_n^*)=c_n^*\Delta^{k_n^*} \] for some integers \(c_n\), \(c_n^*\), \(k_n\) and \(k_n^*\) but, after that, the author writes the polynomials in terms of the Weierstrass \(\wp\)-function and then, using and comparing the Fourier expansions, is able to compute exactly the constants above. It is worth noticing that the formula for \(\mathrm{disc}(B_n^*)\) basically follows from the one for \(\mathrm{res}(A_n,B_n)\) and some relations between the polynomials \(A_n\), \(B_n\), \(C\) and their derivatives. \noindent In the final sections the author also provides similar formulas for elliptic curves which are given in Weierstrass (\(y^2=4x^3-g_2x-g_3\)), Lagrange (\(y^2=x(x-1)(x-\lambda)\)) and Tate (\(y^2+a_1xy+a_3y=x^3+a_2x^2+a_4x+a_6\)) form.