Problem on Elliptic Curve Point Doubling Given an elliptical curve e.g. from “Understanding Cryptography” by Parr &amp; Pelzl §9.2 Example 9.5:

$y^2 = x^3 + 2x + 2~~~~ mod~17$ 

And given a primitive $P = (5, 1)$, the book indicates:


  We compute now all the "powers" of P.


They then provide a table:

$2P = (5, 1) + (5, 1) = (6, 3)$

$3P = 2P + P = (10, 6)$

$...$

$18P = (5, 16)$

Unfortunately it is not apparent to me what action they are performing with the addition ($+$), or what they mean by "powers".  What operation is being performed to go from $(5, 1) + (5, 1)$ to $(6, 3)$, and so on?

The obvious operation (i.e. what Wolfram alpha does) of $(5, 1) + (5, 1) = (5 + 5, 1 + 1)$ yields $(10, 2)$.  There are a plethora of other possible combinations of operations that one could try, but I'd just be guessing.

Generally, given the secret, ordinarily labeled $d$, how ought one calculate $dP = P + P~ +~ ... ~+~ P$?

(This presumably computes the public key $X$ &amp; $Y$ points, from $d$ and the $Gx$ and $Gy$ parameters)

While it is a rather core operation, and likely quite basic, I have found no illustrative examples and at-best convoluted implementations.  I'll keep looking, but I thought that a good answer might be a useful for the next person searching.

Edit

This exact example also appears and is discussed at: https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/430836
The point addition $P+Q$ and doubling $2P = P +P $ in Elliptic Curves $E$ are not just x,y coordinates in the Euclidean Plane that you can add the coordinates. One can find the rules in Wikipedia;

Point addition: With 2 distinct points, P and Q, addition is defined as the negation of the point resulting from the intersection of the curve, E, and the straight line defined by the points P and Q, giving the point, R.
Point doubling: Where the points P and Q, are coincident (at the same coordinates), addition is similar, except that there is no well-defined straight line through P and Q, so the operation is closed using limiting case, the tangent to the curve, E, at P and Q.


Given the Elliptic curve $E:y^2= x^3+a x + b$ and a point $P=(x_p,y_p)$ on the curve, the doubling $R=2P = P + P$ can be calculated by:
\begin{align}
\lambda &amp;= \frac{3 x_p^2 + a }{2 y_p}\\
x_r &amp;= \lambda^2 -2 x_p\\
y_r &amp;= \lambda(x_p-x_r) - y_p
\end{align}
The curve is defined in modular arithmetic $\pmod{17}$, therefore convert $1/2$ into $2^{-1} \equiv 9 \bmod 17$ and find the inverse by extended GCD algorithm.
$\lambda = (3\cdot 5^2 +2)\cdot 9) \equiv 13 \bmod 17$
$x_r = \lambda^2 - 2 x_p  = (13^2  -10 ) \equiv 6 \bmod 17 $
$x_y = \lambda(x_p - x_r)-y_p =  13 \cdot ( 1 - 6) - 1 \equiv 3 \bmod 17$
$$(5,1) + (5,1) = (6,3)$$