On Nekovář's heights, exceptional zeros and a conjecture of Mazur-Tate-Teitelbaum

Abstract: Let $E/\mathbb{Q}$ be an elliptic curve which has split multiplicative reduction at a prime $p$ and whose analytic rank $r_{an}(E)$ equals one. The main goal of this article is to relate the second order derivative of the Mazur-Tate-Teitelbaum $p$-adic $L$-function $L_p(E,s)$ of $E$ to Nekov\'{a}\v{r}'s height pairing evaluated on natural elements arising from the Beilinson-Kato elements. Along the way, we extend a Rubin-style formula of Nekov\'a\v{r} (or in an alternative wording, correct another Rubin-style formula of his) to apply in the presence of exceptional zeros. Our height formula allows us, among other things, to compare the order of vanishing of $L_p(E,s)$ at $s=1$ to its (complex) analytic rank $r_{an}(E)$ assuming the non-triviality of the height pairing. This has consequences towards a conjecture of Mazur, Tate and Teitelbaum.