Torsion bounds for elliptic curves and Drinfeld modules

We derive asymptotically optimal upper bounds on the number of L-rational torsion points on a given elliptic curve or Drinfeld module defined over a finitely generated field K, as a function of the degree [L:K]. Our main tool is the adelic openness of the image of Galois representations attached to elliptic curves and Drinfeld modules, due to Serre and Pink-Ruetsche, respectively. Our approach is to prove a general result for certain Galois modules, which applies simultaneously to elliptic curves and to Drinfeld modules.