Vanishing trace criterion for a congruent number curve ($a_p=0⟺p\equiv 3(\mathrm{mod}4)$)

At an odd good prime, use a model $y^2=x^3-d^{2}x$ with $d$ a unit. If $p\equiv 3(\mathrm{mod}4)$, pairing $x$ with $-x$ cancels their Legendre symbols, so the trace is zero. If $p\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}4)$, the four distinct rational 2-torsion points force the group order to be divisible by four, whereas $p+1$ is two modulo four. The trace cannot vanish. This proves the converse without an explicit complex-multiplication character-sum evaluation.