Search

Let $f$ be a newform of weight $2k$ and let $\chi$ be an unramified imaginary quadratic Hecke character of infinity type $(2t, 0)$, for some integer $0 < t \leq k-1$. We show that the central derivative of the Rankin-Selberg $L$-function $L(f,\chi,s)$ is, up to an explicit positive constant, equal to the Beilinson-Bloch height of a generalized Heegner cycle. This generalizes the Gross-Zagier formula (the case $k = 1$) and Zhang's higher weight formula (the case $t=0$)., Comment: 75 pages, comments welcome

Let $C$ be a smooth projective curve, and let $J$ be its Jacobian. We prove vanishing criteria for the Ceresa cycle $\kappa(C) \in \mathrm{CH}_1(J)\otimes \mathbb{Q}$ in the Chow group of 1-cycles on $J$. Namely, $(A)$ If $\mathrm{H}_{\mathrm{prim}}^3(J)^{\mathrm{Aut}(C)} = 0$, then $\kappa(C)$ vanishes; $(B)$ If $\mathrm{H}^0(J, \Omega_J^3)^{\mathrm{Aut}(C)} = 0$ and the Hodge conjecture holds, then $\kappa(C)$ vanishes modulo algebraic equivalence. We then study the first interesting case where $(B)$ holds but $(A)$ does not, namely the case of Picard curves $C \colon y^3 = x^4 + ax^2 + bx + c$. Using work of Schoen on the Hodge conjecture, we show that the Ceresa cycle of a Picard curve is torsion in the Griffiths group. Moreover, we determine exactly when it is torsion in the Chow group. As a byproduct, we show that there are infinitely many plane quartic curves over $\mathbb{Q}$ with torsion Ceresa cycle (in fact, there is a one parameter family of such curves). Finally, we determine which automorphism group strata are contained in the vanishing locus of the universal Ceresa cycle over $\mathcal{M}_3$., Comment: 21 pages, comments welcome

We show that the Ceresa cycle $\kappa(C_t)$ of the genus $3$ curve $C_t \colon y^3 = x^4 + 2tx^2 + 1$ is torsion if and only if $Q_t=( \sqrt[3]{t^2 -1},t)$ is a torsion point on the elliptic curve $y^2 = x^3 + 1$. This shows that there are infinitely many smooth plane quartic curves over $\mathbb{C}$ (resp. $\mathbb{Q}$) with torsion (resp. infinite order) Ceresa cycle. Over $\overline{\mathbb{Q}}$, we show that the Beilinson--Bloch height of $\kappa(C_t)$ is proportional to the Neron--Tate height of $Q_t$. Thus, the height of $\kappa(C_t)$ is nondegenerate and satisfies a Northcott property. To prove all this, we show that the Chow motive that controls $\kappa(C_t)$ is isomorphic to $\mathfrak{h}^1$ of an appropriate elliptic curve., Comment: accepted version

We study the geometry and arithmetic of the curves $C \colon y^3 = x^4 + ax^2 + b$ and their associated Prym abelian surfaces $P$. We prove a Torelli theorem in this context and give a geometric proof of the fact that $P$ has quaternionic multiplication (QM) by the quaternion order of discriminant $6$. This allows us to describe the Galois action on the geometric endomorphism algebra of $P$. As an application, we classify the torsion subgroups of the Mordell-Weil groups $P(\mathbb{Q})$, as both abelian groups and $\text{End}(P)$-modules., Comment: 37 pages, minor changes

Let $A$ be an abelian surface over $\mathbb{Q}$ whose geometric endomorphism ring is a maximal order in a non-split quaternion algebra. Inspired by Mazur's theorem for elliptic curves, we show that the torsion subgroup of $A(\mathbb{Q})$ is $12$-torsion and has order at most $18$. Under the additional assumption that $A$ is of $\mathrm{GL}_2$-type, we give a complete classification of the possible torsion subgroups of $A(\mathbb{Q})$., Comment: 37 pages, comments welcome

We prove normal distribution laws for primes of bad semistable reduction in families of curves. As a consequence, we deduce that when ordered by height, $100\%$ of curves in these families have, in a precise sense, many such primes., Comment: 12 pages, comments welcome

We prove that a positive proportion of integers are expressible as the sum of two rational cubes, and a positive proportion are not so expressible, thus proving a conjecture of Davenport. More generally, we prove that a positive proportion (in fact, at least one sixth) of elliptic curves in any cubic twist family have rank 0, and a positive proportion (in fact, at least one sixth) of elliptic curves with good reduction at 2 in any cubic twist family have rank 1. Our method involves proving that the average size of the 2-Selmer group of elliptic curves in any cubic twist family, having any given root number, is 3. We accomplish this by generalizing a parametrization, due to the second author and Ho, of elliptic curves with extra structure by pairs of binary cubic forms. We then use a novel combination of geometry-of-numbers methods and the circle method that builds on earlier work of Ruth and the first author. In particular, we make use of a new interpretation of the singular integral and series arising in the circle method in terms of real and $p$-adic Haar measures on the relevant group. We prove a uniformity estimate for integral points on the relevant quadric, which along with a sieve allows us to prove that the average size of the 2-Selmer group over the cubic twist family is 3. By suitably partitioning the subset of curves in the family with given root number, we effect a further sieve to show that the root number is equidistributed and that the same average, now taken over only those curves of given root number, is again 3. Finally, we apply the $p$-parity theorem of Dokchitser-Dokchitser and a $p$-converse theorem of Burungale-Skinner to conclude. We also prove the analogue of the above results for the sequence of square numbers: namely, we prove that a positive proportion of square integers are expressible as the sum of two rational cubes, and a positive proportion are not., Comment: 54 pages; a number of details and additional results have been added in this version

We show that, for any prime $p$, there exist absolutely simple abelian varieties over $\mathbb{Q}$ with arbitrarily large $p$-torsion in their Tate-Shafarevich group. To prove this, we construct explicit $\mu_p$-covers of Jacobians of the form $y^p = x(x-1)(x-a)$ which violate the Hasse principle. In the appendix, Tom Fisher explains how to interpret our proof in terms of a Cassels-Tate pairing., Comment: Added an appendix by Tom Fisher and made a few minor changes. To appear in J. Inst. Math. Jussieu

Fix an elliptic curve $E$ over a number field $F$ and an integer $n$ which is a power of $3$. We study the growth of the Mordell--Weil rank of $E$ after base change to the fields $K_d = F(\sqrt[2n]{d})$. If $E$ admits a $3$-isogeny, then we show that the average ``new rank'' of $E$ over $K_d$, appropriately defined, is bounded as the height of $d$ goes to infinity. When $n = 3$, we moreover show that for many elliptic curves $E/\mathbb{Q}$, there are no new points on $E$ over $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt[6]d)$, for a positive proportion of integers $d$. This is a horizontal analogue of a well-known result of Cornut and Vatsal. As a corollary, we show that Hilbert's tenth problem has a negative solution over a positive proportion of pure sextic fields $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt[6]{d})$. The proofs combine our recent work on ranks of abelian varieties in cyclotomic twist families with a technique we call the ``correlation trick'', which applies in a more general context where one is trying to show simultaneous vanishing of multiple Selmer groups. We also apply this technique to families of twists of Prym surfaces, which leads to bounds on the number of rational points in sextic twist families of bielliptic genus 3 curves., Comment: 24 pages. Revised following referee comments. Section added with application to Hilbert's 10th problem. To appear in Transactions of the AMS. Comments welcome!

We give two new examples of non-hyperelliptic curves whose Ceresa cycles have torsion images in the intermediate Jacobian. For one of them, the central value of the $L$-function of the relevant motive is non-vanishing and the Ceresa cycle is torsion in the Griffiths group, consistent with the conjectures of Beilinson and Bloch. We speculate on a possible explanation for the existence of these torsion Ceresa classes, based on some computations with cyclic Fermat quotients., Comment: Accepted Manuscript, to appear in Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society

Let $p$ and $q$ be distinct primes, and let $X_{p,q}$ be the $(q+1)$-regular graph whose nodes are supersingular elliptic curves over $\overline{\mathbb{F}}_p$ and whose edges are $q$-isogenies. For fixed $p$, we compute the distribution of the $\ell$-Sylow subgroup of the sandpile group (i.e.\ Jacobian) of $X_{p,q}$ as $q \to \infty$. We find that the distribution disagrees with the Cohen-Lenstra heuristic in this context. Our proof is via Galois representations attached to modular curves. As a corollary of our result, we give an upper bound on the probability that the Jacobian is cyclic, which we conjecture to be sharp.

Let $A$ be an abelian variety over a number field $F$, and suppose that $\mathbb Z[\zeta_n]$ embeds in $\mathrm{End}_{\bar F} A$, for some root of unity $\zeta_n$ of order $n = 3^m$. Assuming that the Galois action on the finite group $A[1-\zeta_n]$ is sufficiently reducible, we bound the average rank of the Mordell--Weil groups $A_d(F)$, as $A_d$ varies through the family of $\mu_{2n}$-twists of $A$. Combining this with the recently proved uniform Mordell--Lang conjecture, we prove near-uniform bounds for the number of rational points in twist families of bicyclic trigonal curves $y^3 = f(x^2)$, as well as in twist families of theta divisors of cyclic trigonal curves $y^3 = f(x)$. Our main technical result is the determination of the average size of a $3$-isogeny Selmer group in a family of $\mu_{2n}$-twists., Comment: 32 pages. Final version, to appear in Algebra & Number Theory

We show that a positive proportion of quartic fields are not monogenic, despite having no local obstruction to being monogenic. Our proof builds on the corresponding result for cubic fields that we obtained in a previous work. Along the way, we also prove that a positive proportion of quartic rings of integers do not arise as the invariant order of an integral binary quartic form despite having no local obstruction., Comment: 14 pages, comments welcome

For each prime $p$, we show that there exist geometrically simple abelian varieties $A/\mathbb Q$ with non-trivial $p$-torsion in their Tate-Shafarevich groups. Specifically, for any prime $N\equiv 1 \pmod{p}$, let $A_f$ be an optimal quotient of $J_0(N)$ with a rational point $P$ of order $p$, and let $B = A_f/\langle P \rangle$. Then the number of positive integers $d \leq X$, such that the Tate-Shafarevich group of $\hat B_d$ has non-trivial $p$-torsion, is $\gg X/\log X$, where $\hat B_d$ is the dual of the $d$-th quadratic twist of $B$. We prove this more generally for abelian varieties of $\mathrm{GL}_2$-type with a $p$-isogeny satisfying a mild technical condition. In the special case of elliptic curves, we give stronger results, including many examples where $\mathrm{Sha}(E_d)[p] \neq 0$ for an explicit positive proportion of integers $d$., Comment: 10 pages. Final version, with improved exposition and a new section with explicit calculations for elliptic curves. To appear in Forum of Mathematics, Sigma

We give an explicit rational parameterization of the surface $\mathcal{H}_3$ over $\mathbb{Q}$ whose points parameterize genus 2 curves~$C$ with full $\sqrt{3}$-level structure on their Jacobian $J$. We use this model to construct abelian surfaces $A$ with the property that $\mathrm{Sha}(A_d)[3] \neq 0$ for a positive proportion of quadratic twists $A_d$. In fact, for $100\%$ of $x \in \mathcal{H}_3(\mathbb{Q})$, this holds for the surface $A = \mathrm{Jac}(C_x)/\langle P \rangle$, where $P$ is the marked point of order $3$. Our methods also give an explicit bound on the average rank of $J_d(\mathbb{Q})$, as well as statistical results on the size of $\#C_d(\mathbb{Q})$, as $d$ varies through squarefree integers., Comment: 25 pages, small updates to presentation

We show that a positive proportion of cubic fields are not monogenic, despite having no local obstruction to being monogenic. Our proof involves the comparison of $2$-descent and $3$-descent in a certain family of Mordell curves $E_k \colon y^2 = x^3 + k$. As a by-product of our methods, we show that, for every $r \geq 0$, a positive proportion of curves $E_k$ have Tate--Shafarevich group with $3$-rank at least $r$., Comment: Tweaked Definition 3, other minor changes

We study algebraic cycles in the moduli space of $\mathrm{PGL}_2$-shtukas, arising from the diagonal torus. Our main result shows that their intersection pairing with the Heegner-Drinfeld cycle is the product of the $r$-th central derivative of an automorphic $L$-function $L(\pi,s)$ and Waldspurger's toric period integral. When $L(\pi,\frac12) \neq 0$, this gives a new geometric interpretation for the Taylor series expansion. When $L(\pi,\frac12) = 0$, the pairing vanishes, suggesting higher order analogues of the vanishing of cusps in the modular Jacobian, as well as other new phenomena. Our proof sheds new light on the algebraic correspondence introduced by Yun and Zhang, which is the geometric incarnation of ``differentiating the $L$-function". We realize it as the Lie algebra action of $e+f \in \mathfrak{sl}_2$ on $(\mathbb{Q}_\ell^2)^{\otimes 2d}$. The comparison of relative trace formulas needed to prove our formula is then a consequence of Schur-Weyl duality., Comment: 28 pages, to appear in JEMS. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1707.00213

Let $A$ be an abelian variety over a number field $F$ and let $p$ be a prime. Cohen-Lenstra-Delaunay-style heuristics predict that the Tate-Shafarevich group of $A_s$ should contain an element of order $p$ for a positive proportion of quadratic twists $A_s$ of $A$. We give a general method to prove instances of this conjecture by exploiting independent isogenies of $A$. For each prime $p$, there is a large class of elliptic curves for which our method shows that a positive proportion of quadratic twists have nontrivial $p$-torsion in their Tate-Shafarevich groups. In particular, when the modular curve $X_0(3p)$ has infinitely many $F$-rational points the method applies to ``most'' elliptic curves $E$ having a cyclic $3p$-isogeny. It also applies in certain cases when $X_0(3p)$ has only finitely many points. For example, we find an elliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$ for which a positive proportion of quadratic twists have an element of order $5$ in their Tate-Shafarevich groups. The method applies to abelian varieties of arbitrary dimension, at least in principle. As a proof of concept, we give, for each prime $p \equiv 1 \pmod 9$, examples of CM abelian threefolds with a positive proportion of quadratic twists having elements of order $p$ in their Tate-Shafarevich groups.

Let $F$ be a totally real number field and $A/F$ a principally polarized abelian variety with real multiplication by the ring of integers $\mathcal{O}$ of a totally real field. Assuming $A$ admits an $\mathcal{O}$-linear 3-isogeny over $F$, we prove that a positive proportion of the quadratic twists $A_d$ have rank 0. We also prove that a positive proportion of $A_d$ have rank $\dim A$, assuming the Tate-Shafarevich groups are finite. If $A$ is the Jacobian of a hyperelliptic curve $C$, we deduce that a positive proportion of twists $C_d$ have no rational points other than those fixed by the hyperelliptic involution., Comment: 16 pages. Added an application to rational points on hyperelliptic curves, strengthened theorem on Eisenstein quotients, adjusted the introduction

For an abelian variety $A$ over a number field $F$, we prove that the average rank of the quadratic twists of $A$ is bounded, under the assumption that the multiplication-by-3 isogeny on $A$ factors as a composition of 3-isogenies over $F$. This is the first such boundedness result for an absolutely simple abelian variety $A$ of dimension greater than one. In fact, we exhibit such twist families in arbitrarily large dimension and over any number field. In dimension one, we deduce that if $E/F$ is an elliptic curve admitting a 3-isogeny, then the average rank of its quadratic twists is bounded. If $F$ is totally real, we moreover show that a positive proportion of twists have rank 0 and a positive proportion have $3$-Selmer rank 1. These results on bounded average ranks in families of quadratic twists represent new progress towards Goldfeld's conjecture -- which states that the average rank in the quadratic twist family of an elliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$ should be $1/2$ -- and the first progress towards the analogous conjecture over number fields other than $\mathbb{Q}$. Our results follow from a computation of the average size of the $\phi$-Selmer group in the family of quadratic twists of an abelian variety admitting a 3-isogeny $\phi$.

Let $F$ be the field of rational functions on a smooth projective curve over a finite field, and let $\pi$ be an unramified cuspidal automorphic representation for $\mathrm{PGL}_2$ over $F$. We prove a variant of the formula of Yun and Zhang relating derivatives of the $L$-function of $\pi$ to the self-intersections of Heegner-Drinfeld cycles on moduli spaces of shtukas. In our variant, instead of a self-intersection, we compute the intersection pairing of Heegner-Drinfeld cycles coming from two different quadratic extensions of $F$, and relate the intersection to the $r$-th derivative of a product of two toric period integrals., Comment: 66 pages; made minor changes to Theorem B, added some details regarding Theorem C, and added a few simplifications suggested by the referee

We compute the Grothendieck group of the category of abelian varieties over an algebraically closed field $k$. We also compute the Grothendieck group of the category of $A$-isotypic abelian varieties, for any simple abelian variety $A$, assuming $k$ has characteristic 0, and for any elliptic curve $A$ in any characteristic., Comment: Comments welcome!

The elliptic curve $E_k \colon y^2 = x^3 + k$ admits a natural 3-isogeny $\phi_k \colon E_k \to E_{-27k}$. We compute the average size of the $\phi_k$-Selmer group as $k$ varies over the integers. Unlike previous results of Bhargava and Shankar on $n$-Selmer groups of elliptic curves, we show that this average can be very sensitive to congruence conditions on $k$; this sensitivity can be precisely controlled by the Tamagawa numbers of $E_k$ and $E_{-27k}$. As consequences, we prove that the average rank of the curves $E_k$, $k\in\mathbb Z$, is less than 1.21 and over $23\%$ (resp. $41\%$) of the curves in this family have rank 0 (resp. 3-Selmer rank 1)., Comment: 25 pages