Hurwitz quaternionic integers and Seifert forms (Q1313394)

\textit{M. Kervaire} [Enseign. Math., II. Sér. 31, 173-186 (1985; Zbl 0589.10023)] had studied the following question: When does a unimodular lattice admit an isometry \(t\) which is perfect in the sense that also \(1- t\) is invertible? In the situation of positive definite even lattices whose root system of norm 2 vectors has maximal rank, he left open the case when this system contains components of type \(D_ 4\). The present paper deals with the latter case. In particular, when the root system is of type \(D_ 4^ m\), the author shows that the lattice has a perfect isometry if and only if it has a hermitian structure over the Hurwitz quaternion order (which for \(m>6\) actually is a restriction).