Let E be an optimal elliptic curve of conductor N , such that the L-function of E vanishes to order one at s = 1. Let K be a quadratic imaginary field in which all the primes dividing N split and such that the L-function of E over K also vanishes to order one at s = 1. In view of the Gross-Zagier theorem, the second part of the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture says that the index in E(K) of...

Let E be an optimal elliptic curve over Q of conductor N , such that the L-function of E vanishes to order one at s = 1. Let K be a quadratic imaginary field in which all the primes dividing N are split and such that the L-function of E over K also vanishes to order one at s = 1. In view of the Gross-Zagier theorem, the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture says that the index in E(K) of the sub...

Let E E be an elliptic curve over alttext="double-struck upper Q"> <mml:mi mathvariant="double-struc...

A polynomial relation f(x, y) = 0 in two variables defines a curve C. If the coefficients of the polynomial are rational numbers then one can ask for solutions of the equation f(x, y) = 0 with x, y ∈ Q, in other words for rational points on the curve. If we consider a non-singular projective model C of the curve then over C it is classified by its genus. Mordell conjectured, and in 1983 Falting...

This essay starts by first explaining, for elliptic curves defined over Q, the statement of the conjecture of Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer. Alongside, it contains a discussion of some results that have been proved in the direction of the conjecture, such as the theorem of Kolyvagin-Gross-Zagier and the weak parity theorem of Tim and Vladimir Dokchitser. The second, third and fourth part of the ess...

In this talk I shall attempt to introduce some of the main features of the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture, (BSD). The congruent number problem, deciding whether an integer D is the area of a right angle triangle with rational sides, is not easy. It turns out that the problem is equivalent to finding out if a certain elliptic curve has an infinite number of rational points. In 1983 Tunnell...

Let E be an optimal elliptic curve over Q of conductor N , such that the L-function of E vanishes to order one at s = 1. Let K be a quadratic imaginary field in which all the primes dividing N are split and such that the L-function of E over K also vanishes to order one at s = 1. In view of the Gross-Zagier theorem, the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture says that the index in E(K) of the sub...

The arithmetic theory of elliptic curves enters the new century with some of its major secrets intact. Most notably, the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture, which relates the arithmetic of an elliptic curve to the analytic behaviour of its associated L-series, is still unproved in spite of important advances in the last decades, some of which are recalled in Chapter 1. In the 1960’s the pione...

4 The Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture 18 4.1 Analytic rank 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 4.1.1 Kolyvagin’s proof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 4.1.2 A variant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 4.1.3 Kato’s proof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 4.2 Analytic rank 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...