Change of root numbers of elliptic curves under extension of scalars (Q2436776)

Let \(K\) be a finite extension of \(\mathbb{Q}_p\), \(E/K\) an elliptic curve and \(W(E/K)\) the (local) root number of \(E\); if \(F\) is a finite extension of \(K\), then we also regard \(E\) as an elliptic curve over \(F\) via extension of scalars: the paper under review deals with the problem of relating \(W(E/F)\) to \(W(E/K)\). The local root numbers are intrinsically defined as epsilon factors, so they ultimately depend on a certain representation \(\sigma_{E}\) of the Weil-Deligne group of \(K\); if this representation is reducible we have the simple formula \(W(E/F)=W(E/K)^{[F:K]}\), so the question is especially interesting if \(\sigma_E\) is irreducible, which the author assumes. For \(p \geq 5\) \textit{D. Rohrlich} obtained [Compos. Math. 87, No. 2, 119--151 (1993; Zbl 0791.11026)] explicit formulas for \(W(E/K)\) in terms of \(K\) and of any Weierstrass equation for \(E\), without any assumption of minimality: we can then use a \(K\)-equation for \(E\) to compute \(W(E/F)\) and relate it to \(W(E/K)\). The formulas in Rohrlich's work also apply when \(E\) has potential multiplicative reduction over \(K\) and \(p\) is arbitrary, thus leaving open the question only when \(E\) has potential good reduction and \(p=2,3\). The author focuses on the case \(p=3\) and, assuming \(F/K\) to be Galois, proves formulas expressing \(W(E/F)\) in terms of \(W(E/K)\) and ramification data of \(F\): the situation turns out to be most intricate when \(\sigma_E\) is wildly ramified and \(K(\sqrt{\Delta})\) is ramified over \(K\), where \(\Delta \in K\) denotes a fixed discriminant of \(E\). Moreover, the author shows through an example that the ratio \(\displaystyle \frac{W(E/F)}{W(E/K)^{[F:K]}}\) does not depend solely on ramification data of \(F\) if we drop the assumption that \(F/K\) is Galois.