Counting points on \(\text{CM}\) elliptic curves (Q1359155)

For an elliptic curve \(E\) defined over \(\mathbb{Q}\), the main problem in the determination of the number of points on the \(\text{mod p}\) curve \(\overline E\) is to decide which of \(\pm\pi\) is the Frobenius automorphism \((x,y) \to(x^p,y^p)\), where \(p= \pi\overline\pi\) in \(k= \mathbb{Q} (\sqrt D)\). Let \(E\), defined over a number field \(k\), have complex multiplication by the full ring of integers of \(k\subset k (\sqrt D)\), where \((D,b) =1\) (which includes the interesting class number 1 case). In the present paper the author determines the correct sign of \(\pi\) by applying the general reciprocity law of complex multiplication due to Shimura, which allows one to explicitly calculate what the number field Frobenius automorphism does to division points of a related elliptic curve. The nine well-known cases of class number 1 have been deduced as corollaries to the main theorem, and an interesting example of class number 2 is given. Readers may note a paper by \textit{R. Padma} and \textit{S. Venkataraman} [J. Number Theory 61, 274-282 (1996; Zbl 0872.11035)] in this connection.