Quadratic forms becoming isotropic on an extension (Q1902492): Difference between revisions

This is a fine survey on some major results about quadratic forms over fields. Let \(k\) be a field, \(q\) an anisotropic quadratic form over \(k\). Denote by \(k_m\) the rational function field in \(m\) variables over \(k\), by \(D_m(q)\) the set of nonzero elements in \(k_m\) which are represented by \(q\), by \(\langle D_m(q)\rangle\) the subgroup of \(k^*_m\) generated by \(D_m(q)\). Theorem 1 gives a criterion for a squarefree polynomial \(f\in k[X_1,\dots, X_m]\) which is necessary and sufficient for \(f\in \langle D_m(q)\rangle\). [Essentially this result has been proved by Witt in a paper from 1956 which is not very well-known.] Similarly, Theorem 2 gives a criterion for \(f\) to be a similarity factor of \(q\) over \(k_m\). The case \(m= 1\) implies the theorem of Springer on algebraic extensions of odd degree and the norm principles of Knebusch and Scharlau. The case of a quadratic polynomial \(f\) of dimension \(m\geq 1\) is intimately related to the subform theorem of Cassels-Pfister. Finally, there are applications to sums of squares and (modified) Pythagoras numbers.