We prove a higher dimensional generalization of Gross and Zagier’s theorem on
the factorization of differences of singular moduli. Their result is proved by
giving a counting formula for the number of isomorphisms between elliptic
curves with complex multiplication by two different imaginary quadratic
fields
and
when the curves are reduced modulo a supersingular prime and its powers.
Equivalently, the Gross–Zagier formula counts optimal embeddings of the ring
of integers of an imaginary quadratic field into particular maximal orders
in , the definite
quaternion algebra over
ramified only at
and infinity. Our work gives an analogous counting formula for the number of
simultaneous embeddings of the rings of integers of primitive CM fields into superspecial
orders in definite quaternion algebras over totally real fields of strict class
number .
Our results can also be viewed as a counting formula for the number of isomorphisms
modulo
between abelian varieties with CM by different fields. Our counting formula
can also be used to determine which superspecial primes appear in the
factorizations of differences of values of Siegel modular functions at CM
points associated to two different CM fields and to give a bound on those
supersingular primes that can appear. In the special case of Jacobians of
genus-
curves, this provides information about the factorizations of numerators
of Igusa invariants and so is also relevant to the problem of constructing
genus-
curves for use in cryptography.
Keywords
CM abelian varieties, singular moduli, quaternion algebras,
superspecial orders