Paper 2007/428

Isogenies and the Discrete Logarithm Problem on Jacobians of Genus 3 Hyperelliptic Curves

Benjamin Smith

Abstract

We describe the use of explicit isogenies to reduce Discrete Logarithm Problems (DLPs) on Jacobians of hyperelliptic genus~$3$ curves to Jacobians of non-hyperelliptic genus~$3$ curves, which are vulnerable to faster index calculus attacks. We provide algorithms which compute an isogeny with kernel isomorphic to $(\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z})^3$ for any hyperelliptic genus~$3$ curve. These algorithms provide a rational isogeny for a positive fraction of all hyperelliptic genus~$3$ curves defined over a finite field of characteristic $p > 3$. Subject to reasonable assumptions, our algorithms provide an explicit and efficient reduction from hyperelliptic DLPs to non-hyperelliptic DLPs for around $18.57\%$ of all hyperelliptic genus~$3$ curves over a given finite field.