Chapter 1
The playground of elliptic curves
Chapter 2
The million-dollar guess at Cambridge
Chapter 3
The infinite hunt and the prize
YOUR GOAL
Master of The million-dollar mystery of elliptic curves
Ch 1 · The playground of elliptic curves
diego Elliptic Curves
Draw a straight line through two points on the curve, Find a third intersection with a symmetric swerve.
diego Mathematicians hunt for points on these curves where both coordinates are exact fractions.
Fun Fact
Elliptic curve name: They are named after elliptic integrals used to calculate the perimeter of ellipses, though the curves themselves look like loops or doughnuts.
Glossary
elliptic curve (noun)
A smooth algebraic curve defined by a cubic equation with no self-intersections or cusps. In the early 1960s, Bryan Birch and Peter Swinnerton-Dyer studied these curves using Cambridge's EDSAC computer.
A smooth algebraic curve defined by a cubic equation with no self-intersections or cusps. In the early 1960s, Bryan Birch and Peter Swinnerton-Dyer studied these curves using Cambridge's EDSAC computer.
Quiz
Which math term refers to coordinates on an elliptic curve that are whole numbers or fractions?