Partial Descent on Hyperelliptic Curves and the Generalized Fermat Equation x^3+y^4+z^5=0

Let C : y^2=f(x) be a hyperelliptic curve defined over the rationals. Let K be a number field and suppose f factors over K as a product of irreducible polynomials f=f_1 f_2...f_r. We shall define a "Selmer set" corresponding to this factorization with the property that if it is empty then the curve C has no rational points. We shall demonstrate the effectiveness of our new method by solving the generalized Fermat equation with signature (3,4,5), which is unassailable via the previously existing methods.

No reviews yet.

No comments yet.