Algebra/Number Theory Seminar

Tropical geometry and uniformity of rational points on curves

David Zureick-Brown, Emory University

Wednesday, March 22nd, 2017
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Hylan 1106A

Let X be a curve of genus g over a number field F of degree d = [F:Q]. The conjectural existence of a uniform bound N(g,d) on the number #X(F) of F-rational points of X is an outstanding open problem in arithmetic geometry, known to follow from the Bomberi-Lang conjecture. We prove a special case of this conjecture - we give an explicit uniform bound when X has Mordell-Weil rank r ≤ g-3. This generalizes recent work of Stoll on uniform bounds on hyperelliptic curves. Using the same techniques, we give an explicit, unconditional uniform bound on the number of F-rational torsion points of J lying on the image of X under an Abel-Jacobi map. We also give an explicit uniform bound on the number of geometric torsion points of J lying on X when the reduction type of X is highly degenerate. Our methods combine Chabauty-Coleman’s p-adic integration, non-Archimedean potential theory on Berkovich curves, and the theory of linear systems and divisors on metric graphs. This is joint work with Joe Rabinoff and Eric Katz.

Event contact: dinesh dot thakur at rochester dot edu