Normed bilinear pairings for semi-Euclidean spaces near the Hurwitz-Radon range (Q2563744): Difference between revisions

The classical problem of composition of quadratic forms over some field \(F\) of characteristic not 2 considers the following question: For which values of \(m\) and \(n\) does there exist a formula \((x_1^2+\dots+ x_m^2)(y_1^2+\dots+ y_n^2)=z_1^2+\dots+z_n^2\), where \(z_1,\dots,z_n\) are homogeneous bilinear forms in the two sets of variables \(x_1,\dots, x_m\); \(y_1,\dots,y_n\)? This problem was first considered by Hurwitz over the complex field in the special case \(m=n\) nearly hundred years ago. Subsequent contributions were made by Radon and others. In the article under review composition formulas over the reals of the type \[ \begin{multlined} (x_1^2+\dots+x_k^2-x_{k+1}^2-\dots-x_{k+l}^2)(y_1^2+\dots+y_p^2-y_{p+1}^2-\dots-y_{p+q}^2)=\\ =z_1^2+\dots+z_r^2-z_{r+1}^2-\dots-z_{r+s}^2\end{multlined}\tag{1} \] are studied, here the \(z_i\) are again homogeneous bilinear forms in the variables \(x_j\), \(y_v\). It is assumed that \(k+l\leq p+q\leq r+s\) and \(k>0\) holds. Existence and classification theorems for (1) over the reals are obtained in the case of codimension \(c:=(r+s)-(p+q)\) at most two (theorems 1 and 2). The related results on the positive definite case \(1=q\), \(s=0\) are recalled. The long and quite technical proofs uses Clifford modules with semi-Euclidean structures.