Heegner Points on Rank Two Elliptic Curves

(Preliminary Version)

by William Stein

September 2009


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Abstract

Let E be an elliptic curve over Q of analytic rank 2, and let K be a quadratic imaginary field such that each prime dividing the conductor of E splits in K. We use Heegner points to define GF(ell)-rational points in E(GF(ell))/p for certain inert primes ell, p of K. We then give the first complete algorithm for computing these points z, and find that they are frequently nonzero, which provides the first ever proof of a deep conjecture of Kolyvagin in these cases. We also observe that if any z is nonzero then E(Q) has algebraic rank at most 2.