Stickelberger elements and modular parametrizations of elliptic curves

In the present paper we shall give evidence to support the claim (Conjecture I below and (1.3)) that every elliptic curve A/o which can be parametrized by modular functions admits a canonical modular parametrization whose properties can be related to intrinsic properties of A. In particular, we will see how such a parametrizat ion can be used to prove some rather pleasant integrality properties of Stickelberger elements ad p-adic L-functions attached to A. In addition, if Conjecture I is true then we can give an intrinsic characterization of the isomorphism class of a special elliptic curve in the Q-isogeny class of A distinguished by modular considerations. For most of the paper we have opted for the concrete approach and defined modular parametrizations in terms of X I (N) (Definition 1.1). However, to justify our view of these parametrizations as being canonical, we begin here with a more intrinsic definition. Recall that Shimura ([19], Chap. 6; see w 1 of this paper) has defined a compatible system of canonical models of modular curves {Xs, SeS~}, where 5 p is a certain collection of open subgroups of the group GL(2, Az) over the finite adeles A I of Q. We define the adelic upper half-plane to be the pro-variety )~=lL_m Xs and give )~ the Q-structure induced by the s field of modular functions whose q-expansions at the 0-cusp have coefficients in Q. A modular parametrization of A is a Q-morphism ~: ) ( ~ A which sends