arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Nicolas Billerey.
We solve the Fermat-type equation \[ x^{13} + y^{13} = 3 z^7, \qquad \gcd(x,y,z) = 1 \] combining a unit sieve, the multi-Frey modular method, level raising, computations of systems of eigenvalues modulo 7 over a totally real field, and results for reducibility of certain Galois representations.
In this paper, we give a resolution of the generalized Fermat equations $$x^5 + y^5 = 3 z^n \text{ and } x^{13} + y^{13} = 3 z^n,$$ for all integers $n \ge 2$, and all integers $n \ge 2$ which are not a multiple of $7$, respectively, using the modular method with Frey elliptic curves over totally real fields. The results require a refined application of the multi-Frey technique, which we show to be effective in new ways to reduce the bounds on the exponents $n$. We also give a number of results for the equations $x^5 + y^5 = d z^n$, where $d = 1, 2$, under additional local conditions on the solutions. This includes a result which is reminiscent of the second case of Fermat's Last Theorem, and which uses a new application of level raising at $p$ modulo $p$.
We obtain additional Diophantine applications of the methods surrounding Darmon's program for the generalized Fermat equation developed in the first part of this series of papers. As a first application, we use a multi-Frey approach combining two Frey elliptic curves over totally real fields, a Frey hyperelliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$ due to Kraus, and ideas from the Darmon program to give a complete resolution of the generalized Fermat equation $$x^7 + y^7 = 3 z^n$$ for all integers $n \ge 2$. Moreover, we explain how the use of higher dimensional Frey abelian varieties allows a more efficient proof of this result due to additional structures that they afford, compared to using only Frey elliptic curves. As a second application, we use some of these additional structures that Frey abelian varieties possess to show that a full resolution of the generalized Fermat equation $x^7 + y^7 = z^n$ depends only on the Cartan case of Darmon's big image conjecture. In the process, we solve the previous equation for solutions $(a,b,c)$ such that $a$ and $b$ satisfy certain $2$ or $7$-adic conditions and all $n \ge 2$.
In 2000, Darmon described a program to study the generalized Fermat equation using modularity of abelian varieties of $\mathrm{GL}_2$-type over totally real fields. The original approach was based on hard open conjectures, which have made it difficult to apply in practice. In this paper, building on the progress surrounding the modular method from the last two decades, we analyze and expand the current limits of this program by developing all the necessary ingredients to use Frey abelian varieties for new Diophantine applications. In particular, we deal with all but the fifth and last step in the modular method for Fermat equations of signature $(r,r,p)$ in almost full generality. As an application, for all integers $n \geq 2$, we give a resolution of the generalized Fermat equation $x^{11} + y^{11} = z^n$ for solutions $(a,b,c)$ such that $a + b$ satisfies certain $2$- or $11$-adic conditions. Moreover, the tools developed can be viewed as an advance in addressing a difficulty not treated in Darmon's original program: even assuming `big image' conjectures about residual Galois representations, one still needs to find a method to eliminate Hilbert newforms at the Serre level which do not have complex multiplication. In fact, we are able to reduce the problem of solving $x^5 + y^5 = z^p$ to Darmon's `big image conjecture', thus completing a line of ideas suggested in his original program, and notably only needing the Cartan case of his conjecture.
We provide several extensions of the modular method which were motivated by the problem of completing previous work to prove that, for any integer $n \geq 2$, the equation \[ x^{13} + y^{13} = 3 z^n \] has no non-trivial solutions. In particular, we present four elimination techniques which are based on: (1) establishing reducibility of certain residual Galois representations over a totally real field; (2) generalizing image of inertia arguments to the setting of abelian surfaces; (3) establishing congruences of Hilbert modular forms without the use of often impractical Sturm bounds; and (4) a unit sieve argument which combines information from classical descent and the modular method. The extensions are of broader applicability and provide further evidence that it is possible to obtain a complete resolution of a family of generalized Fermat equations by remaining within the framework of the modular method. As a further illustration of this, we complete a theorem of Anni-Siksek to show that, for $\ell, m\ge 5$, the only solutions to the equation $x^{2\ell} + y^{2m} = z^{13}$ are the trivial ones.
Pour une représentation galoisienne diédrale en caractéristique l on établit (sous certaines hypothèses) l'existence d'une newform à multiplication complexe, dont on contrôle le poids, le niveau et le caractère, telle que la représentation l-adique associée est congrue modulo l à celle de départ. Given a dihedral Galois representation in characteristic l, we establish (under some assumption) the existence of a CM newform, whose weight, level and Nebentypus we pin down, such that its l-adic representation is congruent modulo l to the one we started with.
We exhibit two non-isogenous rational elliptic curves with $17$-torsion subgroups isomorphic as Galois modules.
In this paper, we call strongly modular those reducible semi-simple odd mod $l$ Galois representations for which the conclusion of the strongest form of Serre's original modularity conjecture holds. Under the assumption that the Serre weight $k$ satisfies $l\textgreater{}k+1$, we give a precise characterization of strongly modular representations, hence generalizing a classical theorem of Ribet pertaining to the case of conductor $1$.When the representation $ρ$ is not strongly modular, we give a necessary and sufficient condition on the primes $p$ not dividing $Nl$ for which it arises in level $Np$, where $N$ denotes the conductor of $ρ$. This generalizes a result of Mazur on the case $(N,k)=(1,2)$.
In this paper, we develop a new method for finding all perfect powers which can be expressed as the sum of two rational S-units, where S is a finite set of primes. Our approach is based upon the modularity of Galois representations and, for the most part, does not require lower bounds for linear forms in logarithms. Its main virtue is that it enables to carry out such a program explicitly, at least for certain small sets of primes S; we do so for S = {2, 3} and S = {3, 5, 7}.
We prove a diophantine result on generalized Fermat equations of the form $x^p + y^p = z^r$ which for the first time requires the use of Frey abelian varieties of dimension $\geq 2$ in Darmon's program. For that, we provide an irreducibility criterion for the mod $\mathfrak{p}$ representations attached to certain abelian varieties of $\text{GL}_2$-type over totally real fields.
We prove that every odd semisimple reducible (2-dimensional) mod l Galois representation arises from a cuspidal eigenform. In addition, we investigate the possible different types (level, weight, character) of such a modular form. When the representation is the direct sum of the trivial character and a power of the mod l cyclotomic character, we are able to characterize the primes that can arise as levels of the associated newforms. As an application, we determine a new explicit lower bound for the highest degree among the fields of coefficients of newforms of trivial Nebentypus and prime level. The bound is valid in a subset of the primes with natural (lower) density at least one half.
Let $k$ and $N$ be positive integers with $k\ge2$ even. In this paper we give general explicit upper-bounds in terms of $k$ and $N$ from which all the residual representations $\barρ_{f,λ}$ attached to non-CM newforms of weight $k$ and level $Γ_0(N)$ with $λ$ of residue characteristic greater than these bounds are "as large as possible". The results split into different cases according to the possible types for the residual images and each of them is illustrated on some numerical examples.
Let $E$ be an elliptic curve defined over a number field $K$. We say that a prime number $p$ is exceptional for $(E,K)$ if $E$ admits a $p$-isogeny defined over $K$. The so-called exceptional set of all such prime numbers is finite if and only if $E$ does not have complex multiplication over K. In this paper, we prove that the exceptional set is included in the set of prime divisors of an explicit list of integers (depending on $E$ and $K$), whose infinitely many of them are non-zero. It provides an efficient algorithm for computing it in the finite case. Other less general but rather useful criteria are given, as well as several numerical examples.
In this paper we are interested in solving the Fermat-type equations x^5+y^5=dz^p where d is a positive integer and p a prime number $\ge 7$. We describe a new method based on modularity theorems which allows us to improve all the results in a previous paper of the first author. We finally discuss the present limitations of the method by looking at the case d=3.