An explicit correspondence of modular curves (Q669225)

Let \(\ell\) be a prime number and \(X=X(\ell)\) the modular curve with full level structure \(\ell\). For a subgroup \(H\subset G=\operatorname{GL}_2(\mathbb{F}_\ell)\) containing -1, let us denote by \(X_H\) the corresponding modular curve \(X/H\) given by the action of \(G\) on \(X(\ell)\), and by \(J_H\) its Jacobian variety. For \(C_{ns}\) a non-split Cartan subgroup of \(G\), and its normalizer \(N_{ns}\) the first author proved in [J. Algebra 231, No. 1, 414--448 (2000; Zbl 0990.14012)] that \(J_{C_{ns}}\) and \(J_{N_{ns}}\) are \(\mathbb{Q}\)-isogenous to certain quotients of the modular curve \(X_0(\ell^2)\). Merel conjectured that the isogenies between these varieties can be described by the correspondence induced by the quotient maps from \(X(\ell)\). This was proved in [the first author, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 77, No. 1, 1--38 (1998; Zbl 0903.11019)] using the representation theory of \(G\) and identities in finite double coset algebras. This paper presents an alternative proof of Merel's conjecture, based on arguments by Birch and Zagier. The authors consider a finite field analogue of the complex upper half-plane and the natural action of \(G\) on it by Möbius transformations. This provides a practical description of the quotient of \(G\) by the normalizer of a Cartan subgroup of \(G\) (either split or non-split), where the conjecture is established in quite an elementary way. The proof is extended naturally to quotients of \(G\) by the Cartan groups themselves.