 Rank certificate from rounded canonical heights

The Gram matrix of the canonical height pairing of rational points gives a robust independence certificate. For two points, set $a=\hat{h}(P)$, $b=\hat{h}(Q)$ and $c=(\hat{h}(P+Q)-a-b)/2$. If bounds from rounded measurements imply $a>0$ and $ab-c^2>0$, the matrix is positive-definite. Any integer relation $rP+sQ=O$ would give $a{r}^2+2crs+b{s}^2=0$, forcing $r=s=0$. Thus the points generate a free abelian group of rank two. Checking an interval lower bound for the determinant, rather than just its approximate central value, makes the certificate insensitive to rounding. It certifies independence, not that the points are a basis of the entire Mordell-Weil group.