On rational points of certain affine hypersurfaces (Q2408274): Difference between revisions

Let \(F\) be a field of characteristic not \(2\), let \(x,y,x_1,\ldots,x_n\) be variables. The author studies the existence of rational points for certain affine hypersurfaces as well as the determination of Witt kernels for function fields of certain hyperelliptic curves. In the first part of the paper, the author considers the affine hypersurface \(S\) defined by an equation \(f(y)=\sum_{i=1}^na_ix_i^2\) for some polynomial \(f(y)\in F[y]\) of degree \(2m\). It is shown that if the quadratic form \(\psi=\langle 1,-a_1,\ldots,-a_n\rangle\) is anisotropic and if \(L/F\) is an odd degree field extension over which \(S\) has an \(L\)-rational point, then this is already true for an odd degree extension of degree \(\le m\). So in particular, if \(\psi\) is anisotropic and \(f\) is quartic, having a rational point over on odd degree extension implies the existence of a rational point over \(F\) itself, which is a variation of a theorem of Artin-Springer that states that quadratic forms that become isotropic over an odd degree extension are already isotropic over the base field. In contrast, if \(\psi\) is isotropic and the characteristic does not divide \(m\), then \(S\) will always have an \(L\)-rational point for some extension of odd degree \(\le 2m-1\). In the second part of the paper, the author focuses on the case where \(f\) is quartic. It is shown that \(S\) has a rational point if and only if the quadratic form \(\psi\perp\langle -x,g(x)\rangle\) is isotropic over \(F(x)\) for some polynomial \(g\) of degree \(\le 3\) whose coefficients can be expressed explicitly in terms of the coefficients of \(f\). In the third part, the author considers a nonsingular hyperelliptic curve given by an equation \(y^2=f(x)\) for some quartic polynomial \(f(x)\). Let \(F(C)\) denote the function field of that curve. The Brauer kernel \(\mathrm{Br}(F(C)/F)\) has been computed previously by \textit{D. Haile} and \textit{I. Han} [J. Algebra 313, No. 2, 811--823 (2007; Zbl 1121.14022)] and \textit{J. Shick} [Contemp. Math. 155, 389--398 (1994; Zbl 0803.11024)]. Now determining the Brauer kernel in this case is equivalent to determining all \(2\)-fold Pfister forms in the Witt kernel \(W(F(C)/F)\). In the present paper, the author gives explicit descriptions of all \(n\)-fold Pfister forms for all \(n\geq 2\) in \(W(F(C)/F)\). This allows to determine generators for the full Witt kernel provided the \(u\)-invariant of \(F\) is at most \(10\).