Automorphic forms and cubic twists of elliptic curves

This paper surveys the connection between the elliptic curve E_D: x^3 + y^3 = D and a certain metaplectic form on the cubic cover of GL(3) which has the property that its m,n^{th} Whittaker--Fourier coefficient is essentially the L--series of the curve E_{m^2n}. One may obtain information about the collective behavior the curves E_D by exploiting this connection; for example, one can prove: Theorem: Fix any prime p \ne 3, and any congruence class c mod p. Then there are infinitely many D congruent to c mod p such that the curve E_D has no rational solutions. This paper is fairly self-contained; no prior knowledge of algebraic number theory, analytic number theory or metaplectic forms is assumed. On the other hand, this paper is a survey, no proofs are included.