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Latest revision as of 06:10, 5 March 2024
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English | Quadratic forms becoming isotropic on an extension |
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Quadratic forms becoming isotropic on an extension (English)
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7 February 1996
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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.
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Springer theorem
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survey
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anisotropic quadratic form
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similarity factor
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norm principles
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subform theorem
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sums of squares
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Pythagoras numbers
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