Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2006/iii/paper-29/2/v/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 29 2 v Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
We can use reduction instead of expanding a very large rational addition formula. Modulo , both and reduce to , which generates the three-element reduced group. The reduction homomorphism therefore givesThe rational point is not any of the three torsion points just found, so it has infinite order. In particular : otherwise multiplication by three would give .
If had integral coordinates, its affine integral representative would reduce to an affine point modulo , not to the point at infinity. This contradicts its reduction to . ThusIndeed, it is not even integral at . This is a reduction certificate for a nonintegral elliptic point, with the crucial nonidentity condition verified by the torsion calculation.
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