Some examples of 5 and 7 descent for elliptic curves over \(\mathbb{Q}\) (Q5940694)

Let \(E/K\) be an elliptic curve defined over a number field \(K\). Although there is no known algorithm to compute the Mordell-Weil group \(E(K)\) of \(E/K\), the proof of the Mordell-Weil theorem gives an effective upper bound for the order of \(E(K)/nE(K)\) for an integer \(n\geq 2\). This yields an upper bound on the rank of \(E(K)\), which is an overestimate precisely whenever \(\text{ Ш}(E/K)\) contains nontrivial \(n\)-torsion. This type of calculation is known as \(n\)-descent. A great deal of work has already been done for \(2\) and \(3\)-descents. In this paper the author addresses the question of \(5\) and \(7\)-descents for special types of elliptic curves. Namely, those which admit an isogeny \(E\to E'\) of degree 5 or 7 and also such that \(E'\) admits a \(K\)-rational point of order 5 or 7. A result of \textit{J.-P. Serre} [Invent. Math. 15, 259-331 (1972; Zbl 0235.14012)] shows that this latter condition is always satisfied when \(E\) and \(E'\) are semi-stable. The author starts by giving an explicit example of a point of order 5 on \(\text{ Ш}(E/K)\) and then makes a 2-descent, using \textit{J. E. Cremona}'s program \texttt{mwrank} [\texttt{mwrank}, a program for 2-descent elliptic curves over \(\mathbb Q\), \texttt{http://www.maths.nottingham.ac.uk/personal/jec/ftp/progs}], in order to show that \(E'(\mathbb Q)\cong\mathbb Z/5\mathbb Z\). He then performs similar calculations for all pairs of elliptic curves \(E\) and \(E'\) appearing in \textit{J. E. Cremona}'s tables [Modular elliptic curve data for conductor up to 5300, \texttt{http://www.maths.nottingham.ac.uk/personal/jec/ftp/data}] of conductor \(\leq 5300\). He explicitly obtains and lists examples for curves for which \(\text{ Ш}(E/\mathbb Q)\cong(\mathbb Z/5\mathbb Z)^2\). Analogous calculations are done for \(n=7\).