On $2$-Selmer groups and quadratic twists of elliptic curves

Abstract

Let $K$ be a number field and $E/K$ be an elliptic curve with no $2$-torsion points. In the present article we give lower and upper bounds for the $2$-Selmer rank of $E$ in terms of the $2$-torsion of a narrow class group of a certain cubic extension of $K$ attached to $E$. As an application, we prove (under mild hypotheses) that a positive proportion of prime conductor quadratic twists of $E$ have the same $2$-Selmer group.

20 pages