Elliptic divisibility sequences and undecidable problems about rational points

DOI10.1515/CRELLE.2007.089MaRDI QIDQ5459214zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

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)

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

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)

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.

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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
• Definability of Frobenius orbits and a result on rational distance sets
• Primitive divisors of sequences associated to elliptic curves over function fields
• 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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