The canonical subgroup: a ``subgroup-free'' approach (Q2497110)

The canonical subgroup of an elliptic curve with an ordinary reduction modulo a prime \(p\) is the kernel of multiplication by \(p\) on its formal group. In [Ph.D. Thesis, MIT (1999); Compos. Math. 140, No. 2, 359--395 (2004; Zbl 1052.11037)] \textit{P. L. Kassaei} used the classical approach to develop a similar theory over certain PEL Shimura curves. Canonical subgroups are essential to the theory of overconvergent modular forms. For instance, the overconvergence of the canonical subgroup, i.e. the fact that it can also be defined for elliptic curves with not too supersingular reduction modulo \(p\), allows to define and study the \(U_p\)-operator. In this article, the authors develop a theory of canonical subgroups for a class of curves including the unitary and quaternionic Shimura curves. They use formal and rigid geometry, it allows them to reproduce, for classical cases, the optimal radii of definition for the canonical subgroup. This approach was used in [\textit{M. Kisin} and \textit{K. F. Lai}, Am. J. Math. 127, No. 4, 735--784 (2005; Zbl 1129.11020)] to prove the overconvergence of canonical subgroups in the case of Hilbert modular varieties.