On the rank of the fibers of elliptic \(K3\) surfaces (Q1935320)

Let \(k\) be a number field and \(\pi : X\to B\simeq\mathbb{P}^1\) be a Jacobian elliptic \(K3\) surface defined over \(k\). Let \(r\) be the Mordell-Weil rank of the generic fibres, and \(r_t\) the Mordell-Weil rank of fibres over \(k\)-rational parameter \(t\) in the base space \(B\). In general, \(r_t\geq r\) for most \(t\in k(B)\). The aim of the paper under review is to compare the numbers \(r\) and \(r_t\). More precisely, to study the set of \(k\)-rational points \(t\) of \(B\) such that \(r_t\geq r+1\). As a consequence, it is shown that the set \[ \{t\in k(B) \, |\, r_t\geq r+1 \} \] is infinite if \(\text{rank} \, X(k(B_i)) > 0\) as a corollary to the main theorem stating that if an elliptic \(K3\) surface \(X\) admits at least two distinct elliptic fibrations \(\pi_i\) over \(B_i\) (\(i=1,2\)), then, there exists an elliptic curve \(C\) such that \[ \text{rank} \, (X\times_{B_i} C)(k(C)) > \text{rank} \, X(k(B_i)). \] The first step of the proof of the main theorem is to consider a reduction: For an irreducible curve \(\iota : F_t'\hookrightarrow X\), where \(F_t'=\pi_1^{-1}(t),\, t\in k(B_1)\), let \(\nu : F_t\to F_t'\) be the normalization. One gets a reduction \[ \varphi=\pi\circ\iota\circ\nu : F_t\to B_2 \] of \(B_2\) by \(F_t\). Let \(X^{F_t} := X\times_{B_2} F_t\) be an elliptic surface over \(F_t\) that is a fibre product so that a section \(\sigma : B_2\to X\) naturally lifts a section \(\sigma_{F_t}^{new} : F_t\to X^{F_t}\). Note that all such curves \(F_t'\) are generically neither sections nor components of fibres of \(\pi_2\). Then, the proof is accomplished by applying Lemma 4 and concluding that the section \(\sigma_{F_t}^{new}\) constructed from a section \(\sigma\) as in Step 1 is distinct from \(\sigma\). Reviewer's remark: The reviewer wonders under what conditions, a Jacobian elliptic fibration can admit more than one fibrations, and what the set of \(k\)-rational points \(t\) such that \(r_t>r+\varepsilon\), for any \(\varepsilon \gg 0\) can be said.