Geometrical aspects of the level of curves. (Q5942813): Difference between revisions

The paper addresses the question whether the level, i.e., the minimal number of squares in the real function field representing \(-1\), of a smooth real affine integral curve without real points is \(2\) or \(3\) (these numbers are known to be the lower and upper bounds for the level). The main result is a geometric characterization of the level \(2\) curves via the existence of a specific element in the Picard group of the curve compactification. The case of hyperelliptic curves, especially, hyperelliptic quartics, is treated in more details. As an application the authors present a criterion to decide whether a real polynomial in two variables is representable as the sum of three squares.