The structure of quadratic Jordan systems of Clifford type (Q1841817)

\textit{E. Zelmanov} [Sib. Mat. Zh. 24, 23-37 (1983; Zbl 0516.17009), 25, 50-61 (1984; Zbl 0562.17007) and 26, 71-82 (1985; Zbl 0575.17012)] showed that the prime nondegenerate Jordan systems are either \(i\)-special or exceptional finite dimensional over their centroids and, in characteristic \(\neq 2,3\), the \(i\)-special systems are either of Hermitian or Clifford type. Hermitian systems over arbitrary rings of scalars have been dealt with by \textit{A. D'Amour} [J. Algebra 149, 197-233 (1992; Zbl 0767.17025)]. The paper under review is devoted to the quadratic Jordan systems of Clifford type over arbitrary rings of scalars. A system (pair or triple) of Clifford type is a system all the homotopes of which strictly satisfy a Jordan polynomial that does not vanish for symmetric \(3\times 3\) matrices. As the authors point out, their basic philosophy consists in reducing the general setting of simple systems to systems of finite capacity. First, the list by \textit{O. Loos} [Jordan pairs, Lecture Notes Math. 460, Springer-Verlag, New York (1975; Zbl 0301.17003)] of the classical Jordan central simple pairs of finite capacity is scrutinized and shrunk to a list of ``Cliffordian candidates'' consisting of some rectangular pairs, the alternating pair \({\mathcal V}(A_5(\Phi))\) and the Clifford pairs. The local algebras of the Cliffordian candidates are Jordan algebras of degree \(\leq 2\). Later on, the Cliffordian candidates are checked to be indeed of Clifford type by using a variation of a Zelmanov polynomial constructed by \textit{A. D'Amour} [J. Algebra 140, 160-183 (1991; Zbl 0796.17031)]. Then a so called Primitive Form Theorem is proved asserting that any simple Jordan pair over its centroid \(\Phi\), which is a scalar form of some classical pair in the above mentioned list, is primitive. With all this large background and using the socle, the primitive pairs of Clifford type are shown to be simple classical of capacity \(\leq 2\). Then scalar extensions over suitable large fields are used to prove that any simple pair of Clifford type is a scalar form of a classical pair, hence primitive by the Primitive Form Theorem, and therefore simple classical of capacity \(\leq 2\), so one of the pairs in the list. The structure of simple triples of Clifford type is obtained from their categorical equivalence with Jordan pairs with involution. Finally, using an ultrafilter argument, any prime nondegenerate Jordan pair (resp. \(*\)-pair, triple) of Clifford type is shown to be a scalar form of a simple Jordan pair (resp. \(*\)-pair, triple) of Clifford type.