On the Birch-Swinnerton-Dyer quotients modulo squares (Q990183)

The conjecture of Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer asserts that for every elliptic curve \(E\) over a number field \(K\), the Mordell-Weil rank \(\text{rk}(E/K)\) coincides with the order of vanishing of its L-function at \(s = 1\). The parity of the latter is determined by the root number \(w(E/K) = \pm 1\), the sign in the expected functional equation of the L-function. The Parity Conjecture states that the Mordell-Weil rank \(\text{rk}(E/K)\) is even if and only if the root number \(w(E/K)\) is \(+1\). In the present situation, the authors prove the parity conjecture under the following assumptions: the Shafarevich--Tate conjecture holds true, and \(E\) has semistable reduction at all primes \(v\mid 6\) without being supersingular at any prime \(v\mid 2\). The authors also prove the \(p\)-parity conjecture for all elliptic curves over \(\mathbb{Q}\) and all primes \(p\): the parities of the \(p^\infty\)-Selmer rank and the analytic rank agree. The paper's approach is more general. The authors consider an abelian variety \(A\) over a number field \(K\). An identity between the \(L\)-functions \(L(A/K_i,s)\) for extensions \(K_i\) of \(K\) induces a conjectural relation between the Birch--Swinnerton-Dyer quotients. These relations are proved modulo finiteness of the Tate--Shafarevich group, and an analogous statement for Selmer groups is derived. Based on this, the authors develop a method for determining the parity of various combinations of ranks of \(A\) over extensions of~\(K\). The above instances of the parity conjecture and the \(p\)-parity conjecture are deduced as applications of this general approach. In the meantime some of the results have been extended and clarified in two further joint papers by the authors [Invent. Math. 178, No. 1, 23--71 (2009; Zbl 1219.11083) and Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 146, No. 2, 257--267 (2009; Zbl 1205.11065)].