On the rank of universal quadratic forms over real quadratic fields (Q1743764)

Consider a real quadratic field \(\mathbb{Q}(\sqrt{D})\) with discriminant \(\Delta\) and let \(m(D)\) be the minimal number of variables required by a totally positive definite diagonal universal quadratic form. Let \(\omega_D= \sqrt{D}\) resp. \({1+\sqrt{D}\over 2}\) (for \(D\equiv 2,3\mod 4\), resp. \(D\equiv 1\mod 4\)) and \(\omega_D= [u_0,\overline{u_1,u_2,\dots, u_s}]\) the periodic continued fraction expression with \(s\) minimal. If \(s\) is odd, let \(M_D= u_1+\dots +u_s\). The authors obtain lower and upper bounds for \(\omega(D)\), e.g., \(\omega(D)\leq 8M_D\) if \(s\) is odd and \(M_D\leq c\sqrt{\Delta}(\log\Delta)^2\) for an absolute constant \(c>0\). Furthermore, they establish a link between \(M_D\) and special values of \(L\)-functions in the spirit of Kronecker's limit formula: \[ M_D\sim {\sqrt{\Delta}\over \zeta^{(\Delta)}(2)} \Biggl(L(D)+{1\over h} L(1,\chi_\Delta)\log\sqrt{D}\Biggr). \]