# Affine and Fractional (x, u) Coordinates

It can be shown that a double-odd elliptic curve is birationally equivalent to a subgroup of a twisted Edwards curve defined in a quadratic extension $$\mathbb{F}_{q^2}$$. The general point addition formulas on that twisted Edwards curve can then be shown to be complete as long as we work over that specific subgroup. From these formulas, we can derive back a coordinate system on the original double-odd elliptic curve, with only values in $$\mathbb{F}_q$$, that yield complete formulas for general point addition in the group $$\mathbb{G}$$. These are the $$x, u$$ coordinates.

## Affine Coordinates

The $$x$$ coordinate is the same one as in the affine $$x, y$$ coordinates. The $$u$$ coordinate is $$u = x/y$$. For the neutral $$N$$, the $$u$$ coordinate is set to 0. Given points $$P_1 = (x_1, u_1)$$ and $$P_2 = (x_2, u_2)$$ in $$\mathbb{G}$$, their sum in the group $$P_3 = (x_3, u_3)$$ can be obtained with the following formulas: $\begin{eqnarray*} x_3 &=& \frac{b((x_1 + x_2)(1 + a u_1 u_2) + 2 u_1 u_2 (x_1 x_2 + b))} {(x_1 x_2 + b)(1 - a u_1 u_2) - 2b u_1 u_2 (x_1 + x_2)} \\ u_3 &=& \frac{-(u_1 + u_2)(x_1 x_2 - b)} {(x_1 x_2 + b)(1 + a u_1 u_2) + 2b u_1 u_2 (x_1 + x_2)} \end{eqnarray*}$ These formulas are complete.

## Fractional Coordinates

In order to perform group operations efficiently, we use a fractional representation of the $$(x, u)$$ coordinates. Namely, a point $$(x, u)$$ is represented by the quadruplet $$(X{:}Z{:}U{:}T)$$ with $$ZT \neq 0$$, and such that $$x = X/Z$$ and $$u = U/T$$.

Since $$u = 1/w$$, decoding of a point from its external representation (encoding of the value $$w$$) into fractional $$(x, u)$$ is done in the same way as in $$(x, w)$$ coordinates; when $$x$$ and $$w$$ have been obtained, the fractional coordinates are set to $$(x{:}1{:}1{:}w)$$ (with only a special treatment for the case of the neutral $$N$$).

The addition of $$P_1 = (X_1{:}Z_1{:}U_1{:}T_1)$$ with $$P_2 = (X_2{:}Z_2{:}U_2{:}T_2)$$ into $$P_3 = (X_3{:}Z_3{:}U_3{:}T_3)$$ is obtained with the following addition formulas: $\begin{eqnarray*} X_3 &=& b((X_1 Z_2 + X_2 Z_1)(T_1 T_2 + a U_1 U_2) + 2 U_1 U_2 (X_1 X_2 + b Z_1 Z_2)) \\ Z_3 &=& (X_1 X_2 + b Z_1 Z_2)(T_1 T_2 - a U_1 U_2) - 2b U_1 U_2 (X_1 Z_2 + X_2 Z_1) \\ U_3 &=& -(U_1 T_2 + U_2 T_1)(X_1 X_2 - b Z_1 Z_2) \\ T_3 &=& (X_1 X_2 + b Z_1 Z_2)(T_1 T_2 + a U_1 U_2) + 2b U_1 U_2 (X_1 Z_2 + X_2 Z_1) \end{eqnarray*}$ Like their affine counterparts, these formulas are complete.

They can be implemented in cost 10M by using the following algorithm, with the help of two precomputed constants $$\alpha = (4b-a^2)/(2b-a)$$ and $$\beta = (a-2)/(2b-a)$$:

1. $$t_1 \leftarrow X_1 X_2$$
2. $$t_2 \leftarrow Z_1 Z_2$$
3. $$t_3 \leftarrow U_1 U_2$$
4. $$t_4 \leftarrow T_1 T_2$$
5. $$t_5 \leftarrow (X_1+Z_1)(X_2+Z_2) - t_1 - t_2$$
6. $$t_6 \leftarrow (U_1+T_1)(U_2+T_2) - t_3 - t_4$$
7. $$t_7 \leftarrow t_1 + b t_2$$
8. $$t_8 \leftarrow t_4 t_7$$
9. $$t_9 \leftarrow t_3 (2bt_5 + at_7)$$
10. $$t_{10} \leftarrow (t_4 + \alpha t_3)(t_5 + t_7)$$
11. $$X_3 \leftarrow b(t_{10} - t_8 + \beta t_9)$$
12. $$Z_3 \leftarrow t_8 - t_9$$
13. $$U_3 \leftarrow -t_6(t_1 - bt_2)$$
14. $$T_3 \leftarrow t_8 + t_9$$

The cost of 10M assumes that multiplication by constants $$a$$, $$b$$, $$\alpha$$ and $$\beta$$ is inexpensive, i.e. that these are all small integers or easily computed fractions such as $$1/2$$. Also, $$\alpha$$ and $$\beta$$ are not defined if $$a = 2b$$; in such a case, the implementation can still use the algorithm above by working on an isomorphic curve where $$a \neq 2b$$. Indeed, the transform $$(x, u) \mapsto (2x, u/2)$$ is an easily computable isomorphism from $$E(a, b)$$ into $$E(4a, 16b)$$, which side-steps the issue.

For point doublings, applying the general algorithm leads to a cost of 4M+6S (the first six multiplications are squarings in that case). However, we can do better, with cost 3M+6S. If the source point is $$(X{:}Z{:}U{:}T)$$, then we can compute its double in the group $$(X''{:}Z''{:}U''{:}T'')$$ as follows: $\begin{eqnarray*} X' &=& (a^2-4b) XZ \\ Z' &=& X^2 + aXZ + bZ^2 \\ X'' &=& 4b X'Z' \\ Z'' &=& X'^2 - 2a X'Z' + (a^2-4b) Z'^2 \\ U'' &=& 2(a^2 - 4b) (X^2 - bZ^2) Z'U \\ T'' &=& (X'^2 - (a^2 - 4b)Z'^2) T \end{eqnarray*}$ These formulas, internally, apply the $$\theta_1$$ isogeny, then $$\theta_{1/2}$$; together, these two isogenies compute a point doubling in $$\mathbb{G}$$.

As with Jacobian coordinates, sequences of successive doublings allow for extra optimizations. In fractional $$(x, u)$$ coordinates, we can apply the $$\psi_1$$ isogeny in cost 4M+2S, with an output in Jacobian $$(x, w)$$ coordinates. We can then apply the $$\psi$$ and $$\theta$$ isogenies repeatedly, to achieve the same marginal per-doubling costs as in Jacobian $$(x, w)$$ coordinates. The final isogeny can be modified to produce an output back in fractional $$(x, u)$$ coordinates with very low overhead (at worst one extra squaring). This leads to the following costs for $$n$$ successive doublings:

• $$n$$(2M+5S)+2M+1S (for all curves)
• $$n$$(1M+6S)+4M-1S (if $$q = 3\bmod 4$$)
• $$n$$(4M+2S)+2M+2S (if $$q = 3$$ or $$5\bmod 8$$)
• $$n$$(1M+5S)+3M (if $$a = 0$$)
• $$n$$(2M+4S)+2M+2S (if $$a = -1$$ and $$b = 1/2$$)

The per-sequence overheads are higher than with Jacobian $$(x, w)$$ coordinates; thus, it is beneficial to organize operations such that doublings are always performed in long sequences.

Please refer to the whitepaper (section 4.2) for additional details on these formulas.