On the elliptic curves modulo \(p\) (Q958667)

The authors prove some conjectures of \textit{Z. H. Sun} [Acta Arith. 84, No. 4, 291--335 (1998; Zbl 0912.11002); J. Number Theory 119, No. 2, 210--241 (2006; Zbl 1205.11009)] on the 3-divisibility of the number of rational points of certain elliptic curves over finite prime fields \(\mathbb F_p\). They prove, for example, that if \(p\) is a prime \(>3\) and \(k\) an integer such that \(p \nmid (k+4)(9k+4)\), then the set \(E(\mathbb F_p)\) of \(\mathbb F_p\)-rational points of the elliptic curve \(E\) of equation \[ y^2 = x^3 + 12kx -3k^2+24k+16, \] has a 3-divisible cardinality.