Sums of distinct integral squares in \(\mathbb Q(\sqrt 5)\) (Q935348)

In this note, the author proves: a totally real positive integer \(\alpha\in\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{5})\) can be represented as a sum of distinct (integral) squares if and only if the norm of \(\alpha\) is not one of \(\{4,11,19,44,59\}\). This theorem is an analogue of \textit{R. Sprague}'s [Math. Z. 51, 289--290 (1949; Zbl 0031.20301)] result for \(\mathbb Q\), which shows that every positive integer in \(\mathbb Q\) larger than 128 can be represented as a sum of distinct integer squares. Furthermore, Park's result is in some sense the only complete analogue to Sprague's theorem available for totally real fields, as \textit{C. L. Siegel} [Ann. Math. (2) 46, 313--339 (1945; Zbl 0063.07010)] showed that \(\mathbb Q\) and \(\mathbb Q(\sqrt{5})\) are the only totally real fields in which every totally positive integer can be represented as a sum of integral squares. Park's proof relies upon Sprague's theorem for \(\mathbb Q\). In addition, the endgame of Park's argument relies upon a result of \textit{B. M. Kim} [On nonvanishing sum of integral squares of \(\mathbb Q(\sqrt{5})\), Kangweon-Kyungki Math. J. 6, No. 2, 299--302 (1998)] which characterizes the totally positive integers of \(\mathbb Q(\sqrt{5})\). Park gives an elegant new proof of Kim's characterization result. In principle, one could study the analogous question for representation of binary quadratic forms. ([\textit{L. J. Mordell}, Q. J. (Oxford Ser.) 1, 276--288 (1930; JFM 56.0883.06)] showed that every positive-definite integer-matrix binary quadratic form is represented by a sum of five squares.) One could also ask similar questions for imaginary quadratic fields, where low-rank lattices of the form \(\langle 1,\ldots,1\rangle\) have been shown to represent all positive integers. (See, for example, the work on universal binary Hermitian forms by the reviewer [\textit{S. D. Kominers}, On universal binary Hermitian forms, arXiv:0801.0481 (2008)] and [\textit{P.-S. Park}, Simple proofs for universal binary Hermitian lattices, arXiv:0803.3695 (2008)] and the more general work on universal Hermitian forms [\textit{B. M. Kim}, \textit{J. Y. Kim}, and \textit{P.-S. Park}, The Fifteen Theorem for universal Hermitian lattices over imaginary quadratic fields, arXiv:0710.4991 (2007)].)