Root numbers and ranks in positive characteristic

For a global field K and an elliptic curve E_eta over K(T), Silverman's specialization theorem implies that rank(E_eta(K(T))) <= rank(E_t(K)) for all but finitely many t in P^1(K). If this inequality is strict for all but finitely many t, the elliptic curve E_eta is said to have elevated rank. All known examples of elevated rank for K=Q rest on the parity conjecture for elliptic curves over Q, and the examples are all isotrivial. Some additional standard conjectures over Q imply that there does not exist a non-isotrivial elliptic curve over Q(T) with elevated rank. In positive characteristic, an analogue of one of these additional conjectures is false. Inspired by this, for the rational function field K = kappa(u) over any finite field kappa with odd characteristic, we construct an explicit 2-parameter family E_{c,d} of non-isotrivial elliptic curves over K(T) (depending on arbitrary c, d in kappa^*) such that, under the parity conjecture, each E_{c,d} has elevated rank.Comment: 40 pages; last version; to appear in Adv. Mat

On Chebyshev polynomials and torus knots

In this work we demonstrate that the q-numbers and their two-parameter generalization, the q,p-numbers, can be used to obtain some polynomial invariants for torus knots and links. First, we show that the q-numbers, which are closely connected with the Chebyshev polynomials, can also be related with the Alexander polynomials for the class T(s,2) of torus knots, s being an odd integer, and used for finding the corresponding skein relation. Then, we develop this procedure in order to obtain, with the help of q,p-numbers, the generalized two-variable Alexander polynomials, and prove their direct connection with the HOMFLY polynomials and the skein relation of the latter.Comment: 6 pages (two-column UJP style

Divisibility of characteristic numbers

We use homotopy theory to define certain rational coefficients characteristic numbers with integral values, depending on a given prime number q and positive integer t. We prove the first nontrivial degree formula and use it to show that existence of morphisms between algebraic varieties for which these numbers are not divisible by q give information on the degree of such morphisms or on zero cycles of the target variety.Comment: This is the version published by Geometry & Topology Monographs on 29 January 200

Divisibility of the class numbers of imaginary quadratic fields

For a given odd integer $n>1$, we provide some families of imaginary quadratic number fields of the form $\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{x^2-t^n})$ whose ideal class group has a subgroup isomorphic to $\mathbb{Z}/n\mathbb{Z}$.Comment: 10 pages, accepted for publication in Journal of Number Theory (2017