Paper 2009/522

Isogenies of Elliptic Curves: A Computational Approach

Daniel Shumow

Abstract

Isogenies, the mappings of elliptic curves, have become a useful tool in cryptology. These mathematical objects have been proposed for use in computing pairings, constructing hash functions and random number generators, and analyzing the reducibility of the elliptic curve discrete logarithm problem. With such diverse uses, understanding these objects is important for anyone interested in the field of elliptic curve cryptography. This paper, targeted at an audience with a knowledge of the basic theory of elliptic curves, provides an introduction to the necessary theoretical background for understanding what isogenies are and their basic properties. This theoretical background is used to explain some of the basic computational tasks associated with isogenies. Herein, algorithms for computing isogenies are collected and presented with proofs of correctness and complexity analyses. As opposed to the complex analytic approach provided in most texts on the subject, the proofs in this paper are primarily algebraic in nature. This provides alternate explanations that some with a more concrete or computational bias may find more clear.

Note: This was submitted as a Masters Thesis for a Mathematics degree at the University of Washington.