Lie algebras, composition algebras, and the existence of cross products on finite-dimensional vector spaces (Q1293800)

The author uses Lie algebra methods to prove first that if \(V\) is a vector space over a field \(F\) of characteristic 0, and if \(\times\) is a skew-symmetric bilinear map \(V\times V\to V\) such that \(\times\) satisfies the Jacobi identity and \(u\times v=0\) implies that \(\{u,v\}\) is linearly dependent over \(F\), then \(\dim_F (V)=3\). Moreover, all such \(V\) arise as the set of elements of reduced trace 0 in an \(F\)-central quaternion algebra. He next uses the theory of composition algebras to prove that if \(F\) is a field of characteristic \(\neq 2\), \(\times\) is a skew-symmetric bilinear product on an \(F\)-vector space \(V\), and \(B:V\times V\to F\) is a symmetric bilinear form on \(V\) such that \(B(v\times w,v\times w)=B(v,v) B(w,w)-B(v,w)^2\) for all \(v,w\in V\), then \(\dim_F(V)\) is 3 or 7. Also, any such cross product arises from either a quaternion algebra or an octonion algebra over \(F\).