Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2001 / iii / Paper 19 / 2 / Solution

We use the basic dual isogeny identities in the endomorphism ring of an elliptic curve, extending the dual of the zero map to zero:Here $[n]$ denotes the multiplication-by-$n$ endomorphism, and the degree of the zero map is set to zero. To see the source of additivity, identify $E$ with its Picard group of degree-zero line bundles using the origin. Dualization is pullback on this group. Pullback of a degree-zero line bundle along the sum of two homomorphisms is the tensor product of its pullbacks along those homomorphisms, giving additivity; functoriality of pullback reverses composition. The last identity is the defining degree identity for a dual isogeny. Every nonzero elliptic-curve endomorphism is an isogeny.

The natural inclusion $\mathbb{Z}\hookrightarrow \mathrm{End}(E)$ remains injective even in positive characteristic: for nonzero $n$, the map $[n]$ has degree $n^2$ and is not zero. Therefore an equality of multiplication endomorphisms uniquely specifies its integer coefficient.