A Hermitian analogue of the Bröcker-Prestel theorem. (Q2270504)

Let \(F\) be a field of characteristic different from \(2\), and for each nontrivial valuation \(v\) of \(F\), let \(F_{h(v)}\) be the Henselization of \(F\) relative to \(v\). When \(F\) is formally real, \(F_P\) denotes the Pythagorean closure of \(F\) with respect to any ordering \(P\) on \(F\). Assume that \(A\) is a finite dimensional central simple \(F\)-algebra with an involution \(\sigma\) of the first kind. We say that \((A,\sigma)\) is isotropic, if \(\sigma(x)x=0\), for some nonzero element \(x\in A\); \((A,\sigma)\) is called weakly isotropic, if there exist nonzero elements \(x_1,\dots,x_n\in A\), such that \(\sum_{j=1}^n\sigma(x_j)x_j=0\). The main result of the paper under review shows that \((A,\sigma)\) is weakly isotropic if and only if the following two conditions are satisfied: (i) \((A\otimes_FF_{h(v)},\sigma\otimes\text{id}_{F_{h(v)}})\) is weakly isotropic, for every nontrivial real-valued valuation \(v\) of \(F\); (ii) \((A\otimes_FF_P,\sigma\otimes\text{id}_{F_P})\) is isotropic, for each ordering \(P\) on \(F\). This is an analogue to the Bröcker-Prestel local-global principle characterizing weak isotropy of quadratic forms over a formally real field. An improved result is presented when \(F\) satisfies the strong approximation property or the effective diagonalization property, and also, for algebras with a decomposable involution, and for algebras of Pythagorean index at most two.