Virtual forms (Q974660)

Let \(F\) be a field and \(l\geq 0\) an integer. The author studies an equivalence relation on the set of finite sequences of nonzero elements of \(F\), called \(l\)-equivalence, which leads to the definition of virtual forms of degree \(l\) and of the Grothendieck group of \(l\)-forms \(G(F,l)\). Pfister forms are generalized to the new setting. This allows the construction of a descending sequence of subgroups \((G^n(F,l))_{n\in{\mathbb N}} \) which replaces the filtration given by the powers of the fundamental ideal in the Witt-Grothendieck ring. The groups \(G^n(F,l)\) for \(n\geq 2\) are contained in the center of \(G(F,l)\). If \(l\) is odd, then \(G^n(F,l)\) vanishes for \(n\geq 3\) and any element of \(G^1(F,l)\) has finite order dividing \(l\). A sequence of maps from \(G(F,l) \) to the Milnor \(K\)-groups modulo \(l\) of the field \(F\) allows the use of \(l\)-forms to investigate the Milnor \(K\)-theory of \(F\). These maps generalise Delzant's Stiefel-Whitney classes for quadratic forms. The factor group \(G^1(F,l)/G^3(F,l)\) can be described as a group extension of the first by the second Milnor \(K\)-group modulo \(l\).