# What is the point at infinity on secp256k1 and how to calculate it?

I hear that there should be a point at infinity on secp256k1. I wounder how to calculate it and what does it even mean. I tried to calculate it as $$P_{inf}=P+(-P)$$ but this gives different results for different P. Are there more than one point at infinity?

Geometrically thinking on an elliptic curve, adding two points that are symmetric against x-axis, should not be feasible because any vertical line on x-y plane will only intersect the curve at TWO points not THREE.

Yes, there is a point at infinity $$O$$ on Elliptic Curves (EC). Let the EC be given in Weierstrass equation;

$$y^2 = x^3 +a x + b$$

$$O$$, the point at infinity can have different values according to the underlying coordinate system;

Coordinate Systems

For an elliptic curve over $$\mathbb{F}_p$$;

• In Homogeneous Coordinates (also known as Projective Coordinate), the points are defined as $$(x:y:z),z\neq 0$$ corresponding to affine point $$(\frac{x}{z},\frac{y}{z})$$. The point at infinity is $$(0:1:0)$$ and negative value of $$(x:y:z)$$ is $$(x:-y:z)$$
• In Jacobian Coordinate the points are defined as $$(x:y:z),z\neq 0$$ corresponding to affine point $$(\frac{x}{z^2},\frac{y}{z^3})$$. The point at infinity is $$(1:1:0)$$ and negative value of $$(x:y:z)$$ is $$(x:-y:z)$$

Now, what is $$O$$ in affine coordinates? Try to convert $$O$$ back into an affine coordinate! Well, we cannot represent it! See this answer Thus, we simply say it is $$O$$. But, magically, it can be encoded in implementations.

The Group Law

The points on an elliptic curve form an additive group with an identity $$O$$. For geometrical meaning please see the below image from Wikipedia Elliptic Curves The group law.

We, however, arithmetically can define the addition rules in affine coordinates as;

Let $$P=(x_1,x_2)$$ and $$Q=(x_2,y_2)$$ be two point in the elliptic curve.

1. $$P+O=O+P=P$$
2. If $$x_1 = x_2$$ and $$y_1 = - y_2$$ and $$Q =(x_2,y_2)=(x_1,−y_1)=−P$$ then $$P + (-P) = O$$
3. If $$Q \neq -P$$ then the addition $$P+Q = (x_3,y_3)$$ and the coordinate can be calculated by;

\begin{align} x_3 = & \lambda^2 -x_1 - x_2 \mod p\\ y_3 = & \lambda(x_1-x_3) -y_1 \mod p \end{align}

$$\lambda = \begin{cases} \frac{y_2-y_1}{x_2-x_1}, & \text{if P \neq Q} \\[2ex] \frac{3 x_1^2+a}{2y_1}, & \text{if P = Q} \\[2ex] \end{cases}$$

For Jacobian Coordinate operations see this link.

• In 2 you mean P + Q = O (or P + -P) – dave_thompson_085 Jan 6 at 10:13
• @kelalaka the Wikipedia link you have supplied is saying that if P and Q are opposites of each other, we define $P + Q = O$. Why we cannot conclude $P+(-P)=O$ is always true? By the way what is the random looking output value is that my computer program in python is giving as output? finally is it possible to calculate $O$ so that for any randomly given $P$ the computer program can calculate $P+O=P$? – PouJa Jan 6 at 10:57
• The points are forming an additive group with identity $O$ so $P+(-P) = O$. Wikipedia also says the opposite of a point $P$ is $-P$. For the programming part, unfortunately, off-topic here. Please ask a question on StackOverflow. – kelalaka Jan 6 at 11:17