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Michael Stoll

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Stoll.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Hilbert's Irreducibility for $\mathbb{G}_m$

Let $K$ be a number field and $S$ a finite set of non-archimedean places. Write $\mathcal{O}_S$ for the ring of $S$-integers of $K$ and $\mathcal{O}_S^\times$ for its unit group. Let $\pi : X \rightarrow \mathbb{P}^1$ be a morphism of (irreducible) curves defined over $K$, and denote by $\operatorname{Red}(\pi)$ the set of $\alpha \in \mathbb{P}^1(K)$ such that the fibre $\pi^{-1}(\alpha)$ is reducible (i.e. the Galois action on the fibre is intransitive). Hilbert's Irreducibility Theorem asserts that $\operatorname{Red}(\pi)$ is contained in a thin subset of $\mathbb{P}^1(K)$. In this paper we give an explicit description of $\mathcal{O}_S^\times \cap \operatorname{Red}(\pi)$. As an application we prove the following result inspired by a classical theorem of P\'{o}lya and Siegel. Let $p_1,\dotsc,p_s$ be rational primes. Let $f \in \mathbb{Q}[x]$.Then the following are equivalent: - There are infinitely many tuples $(e_1,\dotsc,e_s) \in \mathbb{N}^s$ such that the polynomial $f(x)-p_1^{e_1} \cdots p_s^{e_s}$ is reducible. - $f=p_1^{a_1} \cdots p_s^{a_s} g^\ell$ (with $\ell$ prime) or $f=-4 p_1^{a_1} \cdots p_s^{a_s} g^4$ for some $g \in \mathbb{Q}[x]$ and some integers $a_1,\dotsc,a_s$.

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arXiv2025

The valuation of the discriminant of a hypersurface

Let $R$ be a discrete valuation ring, with valuation $v \colon R \twoheadrightarrow \mathbb{Z}_{\ge 0} \cup \{\infty\}$ and residue field $k$. Let $H$ be a hypersurface $\operatorname{Proj}(R[x_0,\ldots,x_n]/\langle f \rangle)$. Let $H_k$ be the special fiber, and let $(H_k)_{\mathrm{sing}}$ be its singular subscheme. Let $\Delta(f)$ be the discriminant of $f$. We use Zariski's main theorem and degeneration arguments to prove that $v(\Delta(f))=1$ if and only if $H$ is regular and $(H_k)_{\mathrm{sing}}$ consists of a nondegenerate double point over $k$. We also give lower bounds on $v(\Delta(f))$ when $H_k$ has multiple singularities or a positive-dimensional singularity.

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arXiv2025

Coarse length can be unbounded in 3-step nilpotent Lie groups

In "On the asymptotics of the growth of 2-step nilpotent groups" (J. London Math. Soc. (2), 58 (1998)), we remarked that, contrary to 2-step nilpotent simply connected Lie groups, in 3-step nilpotent simply connected Lie groups it is possible that `$\mathbb{R}$-words' in the given generators cannot be replaced by an equally long $\mathbb{R}$-word representing the same group element and having a bounded number of direction changes. In this note, we present an example for this phenomenon.

math.GR↗
arXiv2025

The Generalized Fermat Equation $x^2 + y^3 = z^{25}$

We consider the generalized Fermat equation (*) $x^2 + y^3 = z^{25}$. Using the known parameterization of the primitive integral solutions to $x^2 + y^3 = z^5$ (due to Edwards), we reduce the solution of (*) to the solution of five specific equations of the form $H(u,v) = w^5$, where $H$ is homogeneous of degree $10$ with coefficients in a sextic number field $K$, $u$ and $v$ are coprime (rational) integers, and $w \in K$.

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arXiv2025

Prime order torsion on elliptic curves over number fields. Part I: Asymptotics

We study the asymptotics of the set $S(d)$ of possible prime orders of $K$-rational points on elliptic curves over number fields $K$ of degree $d$ as $d$ tends to infinity. Assuming some conjectures on the sparsity of newforms of weight $2$ and prime level with unexpectedly high analytic rank, we show that $\max S(d) \le 3d + 1$ for sufficiently large even $d$ and $\max S(d) = o(d)$ for odd $d$.

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arXiv2025

On Some Open Cases of a Conjecture of Conrad, Edixhoven and Stein

Let \( p \geq 5 \) be a prime. In 2003 Conrad, Edixhoven, and Stein conjectured that the rational torsion subgroup of the modular Jacobian \( J_1(p) \) coincides with the rational cuspidal divisor class group. Using explicit computations in Magma, the open case \( p = 29 \) has been proven by Derickx, Kamienny, Stein, and Stoll in 2023. We extend these results to primes \( p = 97, 101, 109, \) and \( 113 \). In addition, we provide a list of the groups \( J_1(p)(\mathbb{Q})_{\text{tors}} \) for every prime up to \( p \leq 113 \). However, our method is general and can be applied to larger primes.

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arXiv2025

Formalizing zeta and L-functions in Lean

The Riemann zeta function, and more generally the L-functions of Dirichlet characters, are among the central objects of study in number theory. We report on a project to formalize the theory of these objects in Lean's "Mathlib" library, including a proof of Dirichlet's theorem on primes in arithmetic progressions and a formal statement of the Riemann hypothesis

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arXiv2025

Prime numbers and dynamics of the polynomial $x^2-1$

Let $n \in \mathbb{Z}_{\geqslant 2}$. By $P(n)$ we denote the set of all prime divisors of the integers in the sequence $n, n^2-1, (n^2-1)^2-1, \dots$. We ask whether the set $P(n)$ determines $n$ uniquely under the assumption that $n \neq m^2-1$ for $m \in \mathbb{Z}_{\geqslant 2}$. This problem originates in the structure theory of infinite-dimensional Lie algebras. We show that the sets $P(n)$ generate infinitely many equivalence classes of positive integers under the equivalence relation $n_1 \sim n_2 \iff P(n_1) = P(n_2)$. We also prove that the sets $P(n)$ separate all positive integers up to $2^{29}$, and we provide some heuristics on why the answer to our question should be positive.

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arXiv2023

Complete verification of strong BSD for many modular abelian surfaces over $\mathbf{Q}$

We develop the theory and algorithms necessary to be able to verify the strong Birch--Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture for absolutely simple modular abelian varieties over $\mathbf{Q}$. We apply our methods to all 28 Atkin--Lehner quotients of $X_0(N)$ of genus $2$, all 97 genus $2$ curves from the LMFDB whose Jacobian is of this type and six further curves originally found by Wang. We are able to verify the strong BSD Conjecture unconditionally and exactly in all these cases; this is the first time that strong BSD has been confirmed for absolutely simple abelian varieties of dimension at least $2$. We also give an example where we verify that the order of the Tate--Shafarevich group is $7^2$ and agrees with the order predicted by the BSD Conjecture.

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arXiv2023

Minimization of hypersurfaces

Let $F \in \mathbb{Z}[x_0, \ldots, x_n]$ be homogeneous of degree $d$ and assume that $F$ is not a `nullform', i.e., there is an invariant $I$ of forms of degree $d$ in $n+1$ variables such that $I(F) \neq 0$. Equivalently, $F$ is semistable in the sense of Geometric Invariant Theory. Minimizing $F$ at a prime $p$ means to produce $T \in \operatorname{Mat}(n+1, \mathbb{Z}) \cap \operatorname{GL}(n+1, \mathbb{Q})$ and $e \in \mathbb{Z}_{\ge 0}$ such that $F_1 = p^{-e} F([x_0, \ldots, x_n] \cdot T)$ has integral coefficients and $v_p(I(F_1))$ is minimal among all such $F_1$. Following Kollár, the minimization process can be described in terms of applying weight vectors $w \in \mathbb{Z}_{\ge 0}^{n+1}$ to $F$. We show that for any dimension $n$ and degree $d$, there is a complete set of weight vectors consisting of $[0,w_1,w_2,\dots,w_n]$ with $0 \le w_1 \le w_2 \le \dots \le w_n \le 2 n d^{n-1}$. When $n = 2$, we improve the bound to $d$. This answers a question raised by Kollár. These results are valid in a more general context, replacing $\mathbb{Z}$ and $p$ by a PID $R$ and a prime element of $R$. Based on this result and a further study of the minimization process in the planar case $n = 2$, we devise an efficient minimization algorithm for ternary forms (equivalently, plane curves) of arbitrary degree $d$. We also describe a similar algorithm that allows to minimize (and reduce) cubic surfaces. The algorithms are available in the computer algebra system Magma.

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arXiv2023

The Cassels-Tate pairing on 2-Selmer groups of elliptic curves

We explicitly compute the Cassels-Tate pairing on the 2-Selmer group of an elliptic curve using the Albanese-Albanese definition of the pairing given by Poonen and Stoll. This leads to a new proof that a pairing defined by Cassels on the 2-Selmer groups of elliptic curves agrees with the Cassels-Tate pairing.

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arXiv2022

Dynamics of quadratic polynomials and rational points on a curve of genus $4$

Let $f_t(z)=z^2+t$. For any $z\in\mathbb{Q}$, let $S_z$ be the collection of $t\in\mathbb{Q}$ such that $z$ is preperiodic for $f_t$. In this article, assuming a well-known conjecture of Flynn, Poonen, and Schaefer, we prove a uniform result regarding the size of $S_z$ over $z\in\mathbb{Q}$. In order to prove it, we need to determine the set of rational points on a specific non-hyperelliptic curve $C$ of genus $4$ defined over $\mathbb{Q}$. We use Chabauty's method, which requires us to determine the Mordell-Weil rank of the Jacobian $J$ of $C$. We give two proofs that the rank is $1$: an analytic proof, which is conditional on the BSD rank conjecture for $J$ and some standard conjectures on L-series, and an algebraic proof, which is unconditional, but relies on the computation of the class groups of two number fields of degree $12$ and degree $24$, respectively. We finally combine the information obtained from both proofs to provide a numerical verification of the strong BSD conjecture for $J$.

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arXiv2022

Elliptic curves with common torsion $x$-coordinates and hyperelliptic torsion packets

We establish a connection between torsion packets on curves of genus $2$ and pairs of elliptic curves realized as double covers of the projective line $\mathbb{P}_{x}^{1}$ that have many common torsion $x$-coordinates. This can be used to show that the set of common torsion $x$-coordinates has size at least $22$ infinitely often and has $34$ elements in some cases. We also explain how we obtained the current record example of a hyperelliptic torsion packet on a genus $2$ curve.

math.AG↗
arXiv2022

Documentation for the ratpoints program

This note explains how to obtain, install, and use the ratpoints program. The program finds rational points up to a specified height on hyperelliptic curves using a highly optimized quadratic sieving algorithm.

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