Some bounds on the coefficients of covering curves (Q353412)

Let \(E\) be an elliptic curve defined over \(\mathbb{Q}\) and recall the exact sequence involving the Selmer and Tate-Shafarevich groups (for any \(n\geq 2\)) \[ E(\mathbb{Q})/nE(\mathbb{Q}) \hookrightarrow \text{Sel}^{(n)}(E/\mathbb{Q}) \twoheadrightarrow \text Ш(E/\mathbb{Q})[n]\;. \] The computation of \(\text{Sel}^{(n)}(E/\mathbb{Q})\) is then crucial for both the rank of \(E(\mathbb{Q})\) and the order of \(\text Ш(E/\mathbb{Q})[n]\). The paper deals with equations of everywhere locally soluble \(n\)-coverings of \(E\), i.e., genus one curves (``models'') which represent elements of \(\text{Sel}^{(n)}(E/\mathbb{Q})\) for \(n=2\), 3 and 4. These models are given by homogeneous polynomials: in particular \textit{binary quartics} (\(\deg 4\) in 2 variables) for \(n=2\), \textit{ternary cubics} (\(\deg 3\) in 3 variables) for \(n=3\) and \textit{quadric intersections} (2 polynomials of \(\deg 2\) in 4 variables) for \(n=4\). Moreover they are determined (up to equivalence) by their \(c_4\) and \(c_6\) invariants (formulas can be found in the author's paper [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 97, No. 3, 753--782 (2008; Zbl 1221.11135)]). The corresponding invariants for the elliptic curve \(E\) (which are shown to be the same of the desired model) appear in the definition of the \textit{naive height} \(H_E:=\max \{|c_4|^{1/4}\,,\,|c_6|^{1/6}\,\}\). The author provides explicit forms for genus one models \(\Phi\) of \(E\) in which the coefficients are bounded by \(H_E^6\) or \(H_E^4\) (modulo an absolute positive constant): the proof uses direct computations and, for the final estimates, a classical theorem of Minkowski. The cases \(n=2\), 3 and 4 are treated separately in each step of the proof, providing very sharp estimates which are presumed to be the best possible ones. A nice application of these ``minimal''models for \(n=3\) is a criterion for the vanishing of \(\text Ш(E/\mathbb{Q})[3]\). Using the geometry of numbers, the author shows that if the minimal discriminant of \(E\) is bounded by \(\frac{1}{64}B^3\), where \(B:=\min\{|x|\,:\,x\in \mathbb{C}\;\text{root\;of\;} (X-3^3)(X-3^5)^3-j_E X^3=0\}\) (\(j_E\) is the \(j\)-invariant of \(E\)), then the models have a global rational point, hence \(\text Ш(E/\mathbb{Q})[3]=0\) (such bound is verified by exactly 92 curves).