Arithmetic of the level four theta model of elliptic curves (Q2516923)

Let \(\mathcal{H}\) be the upper half plane in \(\mathbb{C}\) and take \(a,b\in \mathbb{Q}\). A \textit{theta function} of characteristic \((a,b)\) is the analytic function defined by \[ \theta_{a,b}(z,\omega):=\sum_{n\in \mathbb{Z}} \exp(i\pi (n+a)^2\omega+2i\pi(n+a)(z+b)) \quad (z,\omega)\in\mathbb{C}\times\mathcal{H}\;. \] A \textit{quasi-periodic} function of level \(\ell\in \mathbb{N}-\{0\}\) for the lattice \(\Lambda_\omega:=\omega\mathbb{Z}+\mathbb{Z}\) is a function that verifies \[ f(z+\omega m+n)=\exp(-i\ell\pi m^2\omega-2i\ell\pi mz)f(z)\quad \forall\,z\in\mathbb{C},\;m,n\in\mathbb{Z}\;. \] A basis for \(\Lambda_\omega\) quasi-periodic functions of level 4 is given by \(\left\{ \theta_{a,b}(2z,\omega),\;a,b\in \frac{1}{2}\mathbb{Z}/\mathbb{Z}\right\}\) and these elements can be used as coordinates \(X_0,\dots,X_3\) in \(\mathbb{P}^3\) to describe elliptic curves in the form \[ E_{\lambda_1,\lambda_2}:\begin{cases} X_0^2+X_2^2=\lambda_1 X_1X_3 \\ X_1^2+X_3^2=\lambda_2 X_0X_2 \end{cases} \] (as done in \textit{D. Mumford} [Invent. Math. 1, 287--354 (1966; Zbl 0219.14024)]). \noindent The authors use this \textit{level 4 theta model} to describe addition on the elliptic curve and differential addition on the Kummer line (i.e., the elliptic curve modulo its inverse automorphism, differential addition is the computation of \(P+Q\) once \(P\), \(Q\), and \(P-Q\) are known). Indeed they provide the explicit formulas for the coordinates exploiting the Riemann theta relations between the \(\theta_{a,b}\) of level 4 and compare the computational cost of their procedure to the one obtained via other classical models of elliptic curves. In particular the authors provide conditions for their group law to be complete (i.e., applicable to every pair of points) in odd characteristic and show that in binary fields their differential addition formula is the fastest available.