An elliptic K3 surface X/Q(t) with Mordell-Weil rank 17, I: Formulas for X and base changes of rank 18 and 19

Abstract

In [Elkies 2006, Elkies 2007] we announced a K3 surface X/Q with Néron--Severi group NS(X) = NS_Q(X) of rank 19 and an elliptic fibration of Mordell--Weil rank 17. This is the largest possible Mordell--Weil rank over Q(t) for an elliptic K3 surface. One of the fibers of this surface is the elliptic curve of rank at least 28 that was the elliptic curve of highest rank known during the years 2006--2024. We further announced that there are quadratic base changes of this fibration to elliptic surfaces of Mordell--Weil rank 18 over Q(t), and that there are pairs of such quadratic base changes whose compositum is an elliptic surface of Mordell--Weil rank 19 over an elliptic curve E_0/Q with #(E_0(Q)) = \infty, whence there are infinitely many elliptic curves of rank at least 19 over Q. We exhibit one such pair. A subsequent paper will show (using a technique also announced in [Elkies 2007] how we computed X and its fibration.