Coleman-Gross height pairings and the \(p\)-adic sigma function (Q486432)

Let \(p\) be a prime number, \(F\) a number field and \(E\) an elliptic curve over \(F\). In this paper, the authors show the equivalence of two constructions of \(p\)-adic heights for \(E\). First, supposing that \(E\) has ordinary good reduction at \(p\), there is the construction of \textit{B. Mazur} and \textit{J. Tate} [Duke Math. J. 62, No. 3, 663--688 (1991; Zbl 0735.14020)] using the \(p\)-adic sigma function. The \(p\)-adic sigma function is a \(p\)-adic analogue of the classical sigma function, defined in the \(p\)-adic case, on the formal group of \(E\). Using the \(p\)-adic sigma function a quadratic height function was introduced giving rise to a height pairing. On the other hand the work of \textit{R. F. Coleman} and \textit{B. H. Gross} [Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 17, 73--81 (1989; Zbl 0758.14009)] defined for any curve of positive genus with good reduction at all primes over \(p\), a \(p\)-adic height pairing for divisors of disjoint support. A priori, the local terms of the height pairings are defined for two divisors with disjoint support in the construction of Coleman-Gross and for a divisor with itself in the work of Mazur and Tate. To provide a comparison between the two pairings, the authors extended the Coleman-Gross pairing to all divisors (not necessarily with disjoint support) by choosing tangent vectors at the points of the common support. The main interest lies in the comparison of the heights above \(p\). The authors use tools of \(p\)-adic Arakelov theory. For a curve \(C\) over the algebraic closure of the \(p\)-adic numbers, fixing a point \(x_0\) and a tangent vector \(t_0\), the local height \(h(x-x_0,x-x_0)\) becomes a function on the tangent bundle. In the particular case of an elliptic curve, the choice of an invariant differential provides a canonical choice of tangent vectors and the local height with these choices is precisely the logarithm of the \(p\)-adic sigma function. The equality of the heights is used in section 5 of the paper to give a short proof of a theorem of \textit{M. Kim} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 23, No. 3, 725--747 (2010; Zbl 1225.11077)] characterizing integral points on elliptic curves. New formulas to compute double Coleman integrals from tangential base points are also provided as an application.