An infinite family of Serre curves (Q2347040)

Let \(E\) be an elliptic curve defined over \(\mathbb Q\) and \(\rho_E:\mathrm{Gal}(\overline{\mathbb Q}/\mathbb Q)\rightarrow \mathrm{GL}_2(\widehat{\mathbb Z})=\varprojlim\mathrm{GL}_2(\mathbb Z/n\mathbb Z)\) the full torsion Galois representation of \(E\). In [\textit{J.-P. Serre}, Invent. Math. 15, 259--331 (1972; Zbl 0235.14012)] it is proved that the index \([\mathrm{GL}_2(\widehat{\mathbb Z}):\mathrm{Im}~\rho_E]\geq 2\) . If this index is equal to \(2\), then \(E\) is called a Serre curve. In this article, the author shows that for an elliptic surface \(\mathbb E\) defined by the equation: \(y^2+xy=x^3+t\), the specialization \(E_t\) of \(\mathbb E\) by taking \(t\in \mathbb Q\) is a Serre curve if \(t\) dose not belong to a thin subset \(S\) of \(\mathbb Q\) which is determined explicitly with at most \(12\) possible exceptions. As a corollary, for a prime number \(\ell\neq 2,7\), \(E_\ell\) is a Serre curve. The set \(S\) is determined by the condition that one of \(2,3,5,7,4\) and \(9\) is exceptional for \(E_t\) and by a condition concerning the invariant \(j(E_t)\). Since \(E_t~(t\in \mathbb Q)\) is semi-stable, a prime number \(p\) is exceptional for \(E_t\) if and only if the mod \(p\) Galois representation associated to \(E_t\) is reducible. He uses division polynomials of \(E_t\) and modular curves to determine the reducibility and shows that rational numbers \(t\) satisfying the condition are corresponding to points on some projective curves. These curves are explicitly given and in many cases they are elliptic curves.