Generators of the group of modular units for Gamma1(N) over QQ

We give two explicit sets of generators of the group of invertible regular functions over QQ on the modular curve Y1(N). The first set of generators is the most surprising. It is essentially the set of defining equations of Y1(k) for k<=N/2 when all these modular curves are simultaneously embedded into the affine plane, and this proves a conjecture of Maarten Derickx and Mark van Hoeij. This set of generators is an elliptic divisibility sequence in the sense that it satisfies the same recurrence relation as the elliptic division polynomials. The second set of generators is explicit in terms of classical analytic functions known as Siegel functions. This is both a generalization and a converse of a result of Yifan Yang. Our proof consists of two parts. First, we relate our two sets of generators. Second, we use q-expansions and Gauss' lemma for power series to prove that our functions generate the full group of modular functions. This second part shows how a proof of Kubert and Lang for Y(N) can be much simplified and strengthened when applied to Y1(N). The link between the two sets of generators also provides a set of generators of the ring of regular functions of Y1(N), giving a more uniform version of a result of Ja Kyung Koo and Dong Sung Yoon.Comment: 18 page

An explicit version of Shimura's reciprocity law for Siegel modular functions

We give an explicit version of Shimura's reciprocity law for singular values of Siegel modular functions. We use this to construct the first examples of class invariants of quartic CM fields that are smaller than Igusa invariants.Comment: 21 page

Examples of CM curves of genus two defined over the reflex field

In "Proving that a genus 2 curve has complex multiplication", van Wamelen lists 19 curves of genus two over $\mathbf{Q}$ with complex multiplication (CM). For each of the 19 curves, the CM-field turns out to be cyclic Galois over $\mathbf{Q}$. The generic case of non-Galois quartic CM-fields did not feature in this list, as the field of definition in that case always contains a real quadratic field, known as the real quadratic subfield of the reflex field. We extend van Wamelen's list to include curves of genus two defined over this real quadratic field. Our list therefore contains the smallest "generic" examples of CM curves of genus two. We explain our methods for obtaining this list, including a new height-reduction algorithm for arbitrary hyperelliptic curves over totally real number fields. Unlike Van Wamelen, we also give a proof of our list, which is made possible by our implementation of denominator bounds of Lauter and Viray for Igusa class polynomials.Comment: 31 pages; Updated some reference

On polarised class groups of orders in quartic CM-fields

We give an explicit necessary condition for pairs of orders in a quartic CM-field to have the same polarised class group. This generalises a simpler result for imaginary quadratic fields. We give an application of our results to computing endomorphism rings of abelian surfaces over finite fields, and we use our results to extend a completeness result of Murabayashi and Umegaki to a list of abelian surfaces over the rationals with complex multiplication by arbitrary orders.Comment: 19 pages, v2 strengthened results slightly and changed theorem numbering, v3 further strengthened results and added more details, v4 eased the presentation but changed notations and numbering, v5 updated references, v6 removes mistaken "transitivity" statemen

Computing Igusa class polynomials

We bound the running time of an algorithm that computes the genus-two class polynomials of a primitive quartic CM-field K. This is in fact the first running time bound and even the first proof of correctness of any algorithm that computes these polynomials. Essential to bounding the running time is our bound on the height of the polynomials, which is a combination of denominator bounds of Goren and Lauter and our own absolute value bounds. The absolute value bounds are obtained by combining Dupont's estimates of theta constants with an analysis of the shape of CM period lattices. The algorithm is basically the complex analytic method of Spallek and van Wamelen, and we show that it finishes in time Otilde(Delta^(7/2)), where Delta is the discriminant of K. We give a complete running time analysis of all parts of the algorithm, and a proof of correctness including a rounding error analysis. We also provide various improvements along the way.Comment: 31 pages (Various improvements to the exposition suggested by the referee. For the most detailed exposition, see Chapter II of the author's thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1887/15572

Curves in characteristic 2 with non-trivial 2-torsion

Cais, Ellenberg and Zureick-Brown recently observed that over finite fields of characteristic two, all sufficiently general smooth plane projective curves of a given odd degree admit a non-trivial rational 2-torsion point on their Jacobian. We extend their observation to curves given by Laurent polynomials with a fixed Newton polygon, provided that the polygon satisfies a certain combinatorial property. We also show that in each of these cases, the sufficiently general condition is implied by being ordinary. Our treatment includes many classical families, such as hyperelliptic curves of odd genus and Ca,b curves. In the hyperelliptic case, we provide alternative proofs using an explicit description of the 2-torsion subgroup

Generalized class polynomials

The Hilbert class polynomial has as roots the j-invariants of elliptic curves whose endomorphism ring is a given imaginary quadratic order. It can be used to compute elliptic curves over finite fields with a prescribed number of points. Since its coefficients are typically rather large, there has been continued interest in finding alternative modular functions whose corresponding class polynomials are smaller. Best known are Weber's functions, that reduce the size by a factor of 72 for a positive density subset of imaginary quadratic discriminants. On the other hand, Br\"oker and Stevenhagen showed that no modular function will ever do better than a factor of 100.83. We introduce a generalization of class polynomials, with reduction factors that are not limited by the Br\"oker-Stevenhagen bound. We provide examples matching Weber's reduction factor. For an infinite family of discriminants, their reduction factors surpass those of all previously known modular functions by a factor at least 2.Comment: 28 pp. 5 fi