Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 August 2016
Consider two ordinary elliptic curves   $E,E^{\prime }$  defined over a finite field
 $E,E^{\prime }$  defined over a finite field   $\mathbb{F}_{q}$ , and suppose that there exists an isogeny
 $\mathbb{F}_{q}$ , and suppose that there exists an isogeny   $\unicode[STIX]{x1D713}$  between
 $\unicode[STIX]{x1D713}$  between   $E$  and
 $E$  and   $E^{\prime }$ . We propose an algorithm that determines
 $E^{\prime }$ . We propose an algorithm that determines   $\unicode[STIX]{x1D713}$  from the knowledge of
 $\unicode[STIX]{x1D713}$  from the knowledge of   $E$ ,
 $E$ ,   $E^{\prime }$  and of its degree
 $E^{\prime }$  and of its degree   $r$ , by using the structure of the
 $r$ , by using the structure of the   $\ell$ -torsion of the curves (where
 $\ell$ -torsion of the curves (where   $\ell$  is a prime different from the characteristic
 $\ell$  is a prime different from the characteristic   $p$  of the base field). Our approach is inspired by a previous algorithm due to Couveignes, which involved computations using the
 $p$  of the base field). Our approach is inspired by a previous algorithm due to Couveignes, which involved computations using the   $p$ -torsion on the curves. The most refined version of that algorithm, due to De Feo, has a complexity of
 $p$ -torsion on the curves. The most refined version of that algorithm, due to De Feo, has a complexity of   $\tilde{O} (r^{2})p^{O(1)}$  base field operations. On the other hand, the cost of our algorithm is
 $\tilde{O} (r^{2})p^{O(1)}$  base field operations. On the other hand, the cost of our algorithm is   $\tilde{O} (r^{2})\log (q)^{O(1)}$ , for a large class of inputs; this makes it an interesting alternative for the medium- and large-characteristic cases.
 $\tilde{O} (r^{2})\log (q)^{O(1)}$ , for a large class of inputs; this makes it an interesting alternative for the medium- and large-characteristic cases.