Hecke Module Structure of Quaternions

Abstract

The arithmetic of quaternions is recalled from a constructive point of view. A Hecke module is introduced, defined as a free abelian group on right ideal classes of a quaternion order, together with a natural action of Hecke operators. An equivalent construction in terms of Shimura curves is then introduced, and the quaternion construction is applied to the analysis of specific modular and Shimura curves.