On the minimal degree of definition of $p$-primary torsion subgroups of elliptic curves

Abstract

In this article, we study the minimal degree [K(T):K] of a p-subgroup T <= E(\overline{K})_tors for an elliptic curve E/K defined over a number field K. Our results depend on the shape of the image of the p-adic Galois representation \rho_{E,p^infty}:Gal_K-->GL(2,Z_p). However, we are able to show that there are certain uniform bounds for the minimal degree of definition of T. When the results are applied to K=Q and p=2, we obtain a divisibility condition on the minimal degree of definition of any subgroup of E[2^n] that is best possible.