Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2010/ii/paper-4/23g/i/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 ii Paper 4 23G i Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
Use the usual hypothesis that the ground field has characteristic different from two, and work over its algebraic closure for the geometric points. This hypothesis is necessary for the smooth elliptic-curve calculation: in characteristic two, the displayed cubic model can be singular even when its three roots are distinct.
Homogenization givesAt this says , soTo compute the pole orders on a smooth cubic in Weierstrass form, work in the chart , writing and . The equation is . Its derivative in at is one on the left after bringing the right side across, so is a local parameter. The equation gives . Consequently and have poles of orders two and three at .
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