Dissertation

Modular curves, Arakelov theory, algorithmic applications

Promotor: S.J. Edixhoven, Co-promotor: R.S. de Jong

Author

Pieter Jan Bruin

Date

01 September 2010

Links

Thesis in Leiden Repository

This thesis is about arithmetic, analytic and algorithmic aspects of modular curves and modular forms. The arithmetic and analytic aspects are linked by the viewpoint that modular curves are examples of arithmetic surfaces. Therefore, Arakelov theory (intersection theory on arithmetic surfaces) occupies a prominent place in this thesis. Apart from this, a substantial part of it is devoted to studying modular curves over finite fields, and their Jacobian varieties, from an algorithmic viewpoint. The end product of this thesis is an algorithm for computing modular Galois representations. These are certain two-dimensional representations of the absolute Galois group of the rational numbers that are attached to Hecke eigenforms over finite fields. The running time of our algorithm is (under minor restrictions) polynomial in the length of the input. This main result is a generalisation of that of work of Jean-Marc Couveignes, Bas Edixhoven et al. Several intermediate results are developed in sufficient generality to make them of interest to the study of modular curves and modular forms in a wider sense.

• algorithms
• arakelov theory
• arithmetic geometry
• curves over finite fields
• galois representations
• modular curves
• modular forms
• number theory