Generators of graded rings of modular forms (Q2017180)

For a subring \(A\) of \(\mathbb{C}\), and a congruence subgroup \(\Gamma\) of \(\mathrm{SL}(2, \mathbb{Z})\), consider the graded \(A\)-algebra \[ M(\Gamma, A) = \bigoplus_{k \geq 0} M_k(\Gamma, A) \] where \(M_k(\Gamma, A)\) is the \(A\)-module of weight \(k\) modular forms on \(\Gamma\) with coefficients in \(A\). The problem studied in the paper is the determination of a small weight \(k\) such that an \(A\)-subalgebra of \(M(\Gamma, A)\) containing \(M_r(\Gamma, A)\) for \(r \geq k\) must be the whole algebra. When \(A = \mathbb{C}\), \textit{L. A. Borisov} and \textit{P. E. Gunnells} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 560, 43--64 (2003; Zbl 1124.11309)] showed that one may take \(k=3\) when \(\Gamma\) is the congruence subgroup \(\Gamma_1(N)\) for prime \(N\); they use the theory of toric modular forms. \textit{K. Khuri-Makdisi} [Int. J. Number Theory 8, No. 3, 715--748 (2012; Zbl 1290.11078)] proved that \(k=1\) suffices when \(A= \mathbb{C}\) and \(\Gamma = \Gamma(N)\) for \(N \geq 3\); he used the description of a modular form as a global section of a line bundle on a modular curve. The present paper as well uses this approach. The author uses the theory of moduli schemes of elliptic curves to prove: {Theorem.} For \(A = \mathbb{Z}[1/N]\), the \(A\)-algebra \(M(\Gamma_1(N), A)\) is generated by elements of weight at most \(3\) when \(N \geq 5\). In particular, the same result holds for \(A = \mathbb{C}\). Employing a lemma on the surjectivity of multiplication between tensor products of a line bundle, the author also generalizes the Borisov-Gunnells theorem to \(\Gamma_0(N)\) for a general \(N\) for which \(\Gamma_0(N)\) has no elliptic elements; in this case, he shows that forms of weight at most \(6\) generate the full algebra. The author conjectures that this holds good for any \(N\). The author also uses some work of \textit{S. Böcherer} and \textit{G. Nebe} [J. Ramanujan Math. Soc. 25, No. 3, 265--284 (2010; Zbl 1225.11048)] to prove that for any square-free \(N\), \(M(\Gamma_0(N), \mathbb{C})\) is generated by elements of weight at most \(10\). The paper is very lucidly written with several explanatory remarks which are a pleasure to read.