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A rational parametrization expresses the coordinates of an algebraic curve as rational functions of a parameter, with a rational inverse on a dense open subset. It identifies the function field with $K(t)$ and the smooth projective normalization of an algebraic curve with the projective line. A nonconstant parametrizing map without an inverse is a weaker notion; even this cannot exist for an elliptic curve in characteristic zero.

For integral $m\ge 2$, suppose $E:y^2=x(x+1)(x+m^2)$ has good reduction at five or seven. At five, $m^2\equiv 4$; at seven, $m^2\equiv 2$ or $4$. Each resulting reduced elliptic curve has eight points. These restrictions follow from $\Delta =16m^4(m^2-1{)}^2$ and $c_4=16(m^4-m^2+1)$: if an odd prime divides $m(m^2-1)$, the j-invariant of an elliptic curve has negative valuation. The torsion-freeness of the formal group over Qp for odd p bounds the whole rational torsion by eight. The point $(m,m(m+1))$ doubles to $(0,0)$, and $(-1,0)$ is an independent 2-torsion point. These generate the stated group of order eight.

For nonzero integral $D$, the elliptic curve $E_D:y^2=x^3-D^{2}x$ has rational torsion precisely $O,(0,0),(D,0),(-D,0)$. At every good prime $p\equiv 3(\mathrm{mod}4)$, cancellation of the Legendre symbols at $x$ and $-x$ gives $\#E_D({\mathbb{F}}_p)=p+1$. The torsion-freeness of the formal group over Qp for odd p makes the rational torsion subgroup inject into this group. The Dirichlet theorem on primes in arithmetic progressions excludes odd factors of its order and bounds its two-primary part by four. The four displayed rational 2-torsion points then give equality.

For an elliptic curve over a number field $K$, global and local Kummer maps of an elliptic curve give $0\to E(K)/nE(K)\to {\mathrm{Sel}}^{(n)}(E/K)\to \mathrm{Sha}(E/K)[n]\to 0$. Indeed a Selmer class maps to a locally trivial torsor; conversely any locally trivial torsor killed by $n$ has a global Kummer-sequence lift whose local restrictions lie in the local Kummer images. For a prime $\ell$, the Mordell-Weil theorem therefore gives ${\dim }_{{\mathbb{F}}_{\ell }}{\mathrm{Sel}}^{(\ell )}=\mathrm{rank}E(K)+{\dim }_{{\mathbb{F}}_{\ell }}E(K)[\ell ]+{\dim }_{{\mathbb{F}}_{\ell }}\mathrm{Sha}(E/K)[\ell ]$. Thus a Selmer computation supplies a rigorous upper rank bound, while independent rational points supply a lower bound; the gap need not represent undiscovered rational points.

For a singular projective Weierstrass cubic, its smooth locus of a variety contains the point at infinity and carries the chord-and-tangent group law. The singular point is excluded. Over an algebraic closure, a node gives the multiplicative algebraic group and a cusp gives the additive group. A node whose branches are not defined over the base field gives a nonsplit one-dimensional algebraic torus. This group is distinct from an elliptic curve, whose projective model is smooth.

If an elliptic curve has good reduction over a local field $K$, its integral projective model is smooth. Every point over the residue field lifts by the Hensel lemma, applied in a chart with a unit partial derivative. Thus reduction gives an exact sequence $0\to E_1(K)\to E(K)\to \tilde{E}(k)\to 0$. The kernel of reduction of an elliptic curve is the maximal ideal of the valuation ring, with the formal group of an elliptic curve as its group operation.

For an abelian variety $A$ and a prime number $\ell$ different from the characteristic, the inverse limit of its geometric ${\ell }^n$-torsion, with transition multiplication by $\ell$, is its Tate module. For an elliptic curve, it is free of rank two over the p-adic integers and satisfies $T_{\ell }(E)/{\ell }^n{T}_{\ell }(E)\simeq E[{\ell }^n]$. The absolute Galois group acts continuously and commutes with all base-defined endomorphisms.

For an elliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$, reduction at a good prime $p$ is injective on the $\ell$-primary torsion subgroup when $\ell \ne p$: its kernel is a formal group, where multiplication by $\ell$ is bijective. Hence a rational point of order $\ell$ forces $\ell \mid \#\tilde{E}({\mathbb{F}}_p)$. If for every possible prime $\ell$ some good $p\ne \ell$ has a point count not divisible by $\ell$, rational torsion is trivial. In particular two distinct good primes $p,r$ with coprime counts, $p\nmid \#\tilde{E}({\mathbb{F}}_r)$ and $r\nmid \#\tilde{E}({\mathbb{F}}_p)$ suffice: the coprime counts exclude other primes, and the two cross conditions exclude $p,r$. This argument does not incorrectly apply prime-to-$p$ injectivity to $p$-power torsion.

For a fixed point $Q$ on an elliptic curve, translation is the automorphism $P\mapsto P+Q$. Its inverse is translation by $-Q$. Translations let local computations of an invariant differential on an elliptic curve control every point of the curve.

For an elliptic curve over a finite field of characteristic $p$, its rational-point group is finite and abelian. Prime-to-characteristic geometric torsion bounds every other prime-torsion dimension by two. Multiplication by $p$ has degree $p^2$ and inseparable degree at least $p$, so the $p$-torsion dimension is at most one. The structure theorem for finite abelian groups therefore gives two cyclic factors with $m\mid n$ and $p\nmid m$.

Let an elliptic curve over $\mathbb{Q}$ have good reduction at distinct primes $p,r$, with point counts $N_p,N_r$. For a torsion point, its $\ell$-primary part injects into every reduction whose residue characteristic differs from $\ell$. Consequently its $\ell$-power order has exponent at most $\min (v_{\ell }(N_p),v_{\ell }(N_r))$ when $\ell \ne p,r$, at most $v_p(N_r)$ when $\ell =p$, and at most $v_r(N_p)$ when $\ell =r$. This precise form avoids assuming injectivity on residue-characteristic torsion. Counts five at two and seven at three force trivial rational torsion.

For an abelian variety $A$ over a field $K$, its Weil–Châtelet group is the Galois cohomology group $H^1(K,A(K^{\mathrm{sep}}))$, classifying torsors under $A$. Such an algebraic-group torsor becomes $A$ after passing to a separable closure but need not have a $K$-point. A chosen geometric point identifies the torsor with $A$ and its Galois descent with a cocycle; changing that point adds a coboundary. The zero class is precisely the torsor with a rational point. For an elliptic curve, these torsors are genus-one curves with a specified action and Jacobian. Over a number field the kernel of restriction to every completion is the Tate–Shafarevich group.