Elliptic divisibility sequences and undecidable problems about rational points

DOI10.1515/CRELLE.2007.089zbMATH Open1178.11076arXivmath/0412473OpenAlexW1987450159MaRDI QIDQ5459214FDOQ5459214

Authors: Gunther Cornelissen, Karim Zahidi 

Publication date: 25 April 2008

Published in: Journal für die reine und angewandte Mathematik (Crelles Journal) (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Julia Robinson has given a first-order definition of the rational integers Z in the rational numbers Q by a formula (forall exists forall exists)(F=0) where the forall-quantifiers run over a total of 8 variables, and where F is a polynomial. This implies that the Sigma_5-theory of Q is undecidable. We prove that a conjecture about elliptic curves provides an interpretation of Z in Q with quantifier complexity forall exists, involving only one universally quantified variable. This improves the complexity of defining Z in Q in two ways, and implies that the Sigma_3-theory, and even the Pi_2-theory, of Q is undecidable (recall that Hilbert's Tenth Problem for Q is the question whether the Sigma_1-theory of Q is undecidable). In short, granting the conjecture, there is a one-parameter family of hypersurfaces over Q for which one cannot decide whether or not they all have a rational point. The conjecture is related to properties of elliptic divisibility sequences on an elliptic curve and its image under rational 2-descent, namely existence of primitive divisors in suitable residue classes, and we discuss how to prove weaker-in-density versions of the conjecture and present some heuristics.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0412473

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Decidability of theories and sets of sentences (03B25) Undecidability and degrees of sets of sentences (03D35) Model theory (number-theoretic aspects) (11U09)

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Cited In (14)

• Algebraic divisibility sequences over function fields
• Defining \(\mathbb Z\) in \(\mathbb Q\)
• Descent on elliptic curves and Hilbert’s tenth problem
• Defining the integers in large rings of a number field using one universal quantifier
• A quantitative primitive divisor result for points on elliptic curves
• $\mathbb Q\setminus \mathbb Z$ is diophantine over $\mathbb Q$ with $32$ unknowns
• A survey of local-global methods for Hilbert's tenth problem
• Elliptic divisibility sequences over certain curves
• Elliptic nets and elliptic curves
• Primitive divisors of sequences associated to elliptic curves over function fields
• Definability of Frobenius orbits and a result on rational distance sets
• Rational sequences on different models of elliptic curves
• A Diophantine definition of the constants in \(\mathbb{Q}(z)\)
• Perfect powers generated by the twisted Fermat cubic

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