A proof of the \(S\)-genus identities for ternary quadratic forms (Q1927669)

For an odd squarefree natural number \(S\), the \(S\)-genus of ternary quadratic forms is defined to be the set of equivalence classes of ternary integral quadratic forms locally equivalent to a quadratic form \(B(x,y)+2Sz^2\), where \(B(x,y)\) is a positive definite integer-valued binary quadratic form of discriminant \(-8S\). If \(S\) is a product of \(r\) distinct prime factors, then this \(S\)-genus is the union of \(2^r\) genera of integral ternary quadratic forms of discriminant \(16S^2\). In a previous paper [in: The legacy of Alladi Ramakrishnan in the mathematical sciences. New York, NY: Springer. 211--241 (2010; Zbl 1322.11028)], the first and third authors conjectured the validity of several formulas expressing the weighted average over an \(S\)-genus of representation numbers of certain integers in terms of the number of representations of an integer as a sum of three squares. In the present paper, the authors provide proofs of the conjectured identities. This is accomplished by utilizing the Siegel-Weil formula for definite ternary quadratic forms and an explicit mass formula due to \textit{J. H. Conway} and \textit{N. J. A. Sloane} [Proc. R. Soc. Lond., Ser. A 419, No. 1857, 259--286 (1988; Zbl 0655.10023)]. The paper contains detailed computations of the local representation densities and masses of the genera in an \(S\)-genus that are needed to apply these formulas.