To participate in this seminar, please register here: https://www.msri.org/seminars/25206

Abstract:

We shall consider sections of (products of) elliptic schemes, and their "torsion values". For instance, what can be said
of the complex numbers b for which (2, \sqrt{2(2-b)}) is torsion on y^2=x(x-1)(x-b)?
In particular, we shall recall results of "Manin-Mumford type" and illustrate some applications to elliptical billiards. Finally, we shall frame these issues as special cases of a general question in arithmetic dynamics, which can be treated with different methods, depending on the context.

(Most results refer to work with Pietro Corvaja and David Masser.)