English

Inflection divisors of linear series on an elliptic curve

Algebraic Geometry 2020-08-11 v3

Abstract

In this largely-expository note, we describe a class of divisors on elliptic curves that index the inflection points of linear series arising (as subspaces of holomorphic sections) from line bundles on P1\mathbb{P}^1 via pullback along the canonical 2-to-1 projection. Associated to each inflection divisor on an elliptic curve Eλ:y2=x(x1)(xλ)E_{\lambda}: y^2= x(x-1)(x-\lambda), there is an associated {\it inflectionary curve} in (the projective compactification of) the affine plane in coordinates xx and λ\lambda. These inflectionary curves have remarkable features; among other things, they lead directly to an explicit conjecture for the number of {\it real} inflection points of linear series on EλE_{\lambda} whenever the Legendre parameter λ\lambda is real.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1903.03222,
  title  = {Inflection divisors of linear series on an elliptic curve},
  author = {Ethan Cotterill and Cristhian Garay López},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1903.03222},
  year   = {2020}
}

Comments

A separability conjecture for inflection polynomials associated with maximally-real elliptic curves was stated correctly in the first version but not in the second; so we reverted to the first version. Additional small additions/fixes; to appear in the proceedings of the ICM satellite conf in Campinas