Intercalate matrices. II: A characterization of Hurwitz-Radon formulas and an infinite family of forbidden matrices (Q1382737)

Intercalate matrices of type \([r,s,n]\) were introduced by the reviewer to study polynomial identities with integer coefficients expressing a product of a sum of \(r\) squares and another of \(s\) squares as a sum of \(n\) squares of integral bilinear forms [Can. Math. Bull. 30, 318-324 (1987; Zbl 0586.10013)]. The present paper gives, among other results, a characterization of intercalate matrices representing sums of squares formulas of the Hurwitz-Radon types, namely those of type \([\rho(2^n), 2^n, 2^n]\), where \(\rho(2^n) = 8a+2^b\) when \(n\) is written as \(4a+b\) for \(0 \leq b \leq 3\).