\(p\)-descent in characteristic \(p\) (Q1814238)

Let \(k\) be a global field; i.e., a finite extension of \(\mathbb{Q}\) or a function field of transcendency 1 over a finite field. Let \(E\) be an elliptic curve over \(k\). The theorem of Mordell-Weil establishes that the group \(E(k)\) of rational points of \(E\) is finitely generated. However, the process of effectively constructing generators is quite subtle; in particular one needs ``descent'' on the Selmer group of the curve. The paper under review is concerned with \(p\)-descent in the case where \(k\) is a function field in characteristic \(p\). The first half of the paper develops the machinery of \(p\)-descents in general. In the second half, the author turns to ``universal elliptic curves'' where the Selmer group is expressed in terms of modular forms mod \(p\). In particular, the author produces a subspace of the Selmer group predicted by earlier \(L\)- function computations and the conjecture of Birch and Swinnerton- Dyer. The motivation for this work was the author's work on universal elliptic curves over Igusa curves.