Pell conics and quadratic reciprocity (Q422007)

The authors give a proof of the quadratic reciprocity law based on the arithmetic of Pell conics, i.e., the group of \(\mathbb F_p\)-rational points on curves \(X^2 - dY^2 = 1\). The basic idea is applying Weil's reciprocity for the projective line (which is a well known property of resultants; see e.g. \textit{E.~Previato} [Atti Accad. Naz. Lincei, Cl. Sci. Fis. Mat. Nat., IX. Ser., Rend. Lincei, Mat. Appl. 2, No. 2, 167--171 (1991; Zbl 0739.30034)]) to the ``division polynomials'' associated to Pell conics, which are slight modifications of Chebyshev polynomials.