Gauss composition over an arbitrary base (Q616903)

This paper contains a generalization, valid over any base ring or scheme, of the classical correspondence relating integral binary quadratic forms and ideal classes of quadratic orders. In order to state the results in their full generality, a few definitions are needed. A linear binary quadratic form over a scheme \(S\) consists of a locally free rank \(2\) \(\mathcal O_S\)-module \(V\), a locally free rank \(1\) \(\mathcal O_S\)-module \(L\), and a global section \(f\in \text{Sym}^2\, V\otimes L\). A quadratic algebra over \(S\) is a locally free rank \(2\) \(\mathcal O_S\)-algebra. For a quadratic algebra \(C\) over \(S\), a \(C\)-module \(M\) is traceable if \(M\) is a locally free rank \(2\) \(\mathcal O_S\)-module such that \(C\) and \(M\) give the same trace map \(C\rightarrow \mathcal O_S\). The main theorem of this paper gives an explicit bijection between the set of isomorphism classes of linear binary quadratic forms over \(S\) and the set of isomorphism classes of pairs \((C,M)\) with \(C\) a quadratic algebra over \(S\) and \(M\) a traceable \(C\)-module. The correspondence commutes with base change in \(S\). It is shown that when this result is specialized to the case \(S=\text{Spec}\, \mathbb Z\), the classical correspondence is recovered. Previous results on the problem of extending classical Gauss composition over \(\mathbb Z\) to more general rings can be found in papers by \textit{J. Towber} [Adv. Math. 36, 1--107 (1980; Zbl 0447.10025)] and \textit{M. Kneser} [J. Number Theory 15, 406--413 (1982; Zbl 0493.10029)], and in earlier papers referenced therein. The final section of the present paper is devoted to describing the relationship of the results obtained here to those given by Kneser over an arbitrary commutative ring by considering a binary quadratic module \(M\) as a module over its even Clifford algebra \(C^+(M)\) and realizing composition as the tensor product of modules over \(C^+(M)\).