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Let $E$ be a supersingular elliptic curve over $\mathbb{F}_{p^2}$, where $p = \ell_A^{e_A} \ell_B^{e_B} f \pm 1$ for some primes $\ell_A, \ell_B$. Let $R \in E[\ell_A^{e_A}]$ be a point of order $\ell_A^{e_A}$ and suppose $\phi:E \to E' = E/\langle R \rangle$ is an isogeny with kernel $\langle R \rangle$. Let $\widehat{\phi}:E' \to E$ be the dual isogeny.

My question is: suppose we know the kernel of $\widehat{\phi}$, say $\langle S \rangle$. How can we recover $\langle R \rangle$?

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  • $\begingroup$ It looks similar to some kind of homework, can you provide some a bit of background on where you encounter this problem? Also, can you explain why you feel this is more cryptography than purely mathematics? $\endgroup$
    – DannyNiu
    Oct 30, 2019 at 8:10
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    $\begingroup$ @DannyNiu This kind of questions shows up in isogeny-based cryptography, specifically SIDH/SIKE. $\endgroup$
    – yyyyyyy
    Oct 30, 2019 at 9:05
  • $\begingroup$ Hint: Consider another point $Q\in E'$ such that $\{S,Q\}$ is a basis of the $\ell_A^{e_A}$-torsion of $E'$ and look how $\phi\circ\widehat\phi$ acts on these points. $\endgroup$
    – yyyyyyy
    Oct 30, 2019 at 9:11
  • $\begingroup$ my guess (cmiiw) is that $\ker(\phi) = \langle \widehat{\phi}(Q) \rangle$ because $\phi(\widehat{\phi}(Q)) = [\ell_A^{e_A}]Q = $ identity. However, it is still unclear to me why should $\langle \widehat{\phi}(Q) \rangle = \langle R \rangle$. $\endgroup$
    – tfp
    Oct 30, 2019 at 9:24
  • $\begingroup$ @tfp You are right that $\ker(\phi)=\langle\widehat\phi(Q)\rangle$, but your argument only shows the $\supseteq$ inclusion. Re: "why should $\langle\widehat\phi(Q)\rangle=\langle R\rangle$", note that you've assumed $\ker(\phi)=\langle R\rangle$. $\endgroup$
    – yyyyyyy
    Oct 31, 2019 at 12:29

1 Answer 1

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The comments on the question have already provided a good starting point, but I'll add an answer for completeness.

We have that $R \in E$ is a point of order $\ell_A^{e_A}$, generating the kernel of $\phi$. Because $\ell_A^{e_A}$ is coprime to $p$, the $\ell_A^{e_A}$-torsion subgroup of $E$ has the following structure:

$$E[\ell_A^{e_A}] \cong \frac{\mathbb{Z}}{\ell_A^{e_A}\mathbb{Z}} \times \frac{\mathbb{Z}}{\ell_A^{e_A}\mathbb{Z}}. $$

Thus, as we know, two independent points of order $\ell_A^{e_A}$ generate $E[\ell_A^{e_A}]$. So there are points of order $\ell_A^{e_A}$ in $E[\ell_A^{e_A}]$ which are independent of $R$ - call one of them $Q$. That is, the kernels generated by $R$ and $Q$ only intersect trivially.

Now consider what happens when $Q$ is mapped via $\phi$, giving $\phi(Q) \in E'$. Because the subgroup $\langle Q \rangle$ only intersects trivially with $\langle R \rangle = \ker \phi$, and because isogenies are group homomorphisms, $\phi(Q)$ must have order $\ell_A^{e_A}$ on $E'$.

We also have that $$\widehat{\phi} \circ \phi = [\ell_A^{e_A}],$$ which is the multiplication-by-$\ell_A^{e_A}$ endomorphism on $E$. See, for example, Silverman's "The Arithmetic of Elliptic Curves" Section III.6 for proof of this fact and other facts about the dual isogeny. By definition, the kernel of the above endomorphism $[\ell_A^{e_A}]$ must be $E[\ell_A^{e_A}]$ - all the points which when multiplied by $\ell_A^{e_A}$ give the identity $\mathcal{O}_E$. This includes $Q$. So $\phi(Q)$ must be in the kernel of $\widehat{\phi}$.

So, because $Q$ is a point of order $\ell_A^{e_A}$ in the kernel of $\widehat{\phi}$ (an isogeny of degree $\ell_A^{e_A}$), it must generate said kernel. This gives us exactly what you wanted: a generator of the kernel of the dual isogeny. Simply map an independent point of the correct order through $\phi$ to get a generator of $\ker \widehat{\phi}$.

The same applies in the other direction: Given $S$ generating the kernel of $\widehat{\phi}$, we can pick a point of order $\ell_A^{e_A}$ independent of $S$ on $E'$ and map it through $\widehat{\phi}$ to get a point of order $\ell_A^{e_A}$ on $E$, in the kernel of $\phi$. This point must generate the kernel (it won't necessarily be equal to $R$, but it will be in the subgroup generated by $R$).

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