Real quadratic fields admitting universal lattices of rank 7 (Q2064343)

Let \(F\) be a totally real algebraic number field, \(\mathcal O_F\) the ring of algebraic integers of \(F\), and \(\mathcal O_F^+\) the set of totally positive elements of \(\mathcal O_F\). A quadratic \(\mathcal O_F\)-lattice is a finitely generated \(\mathcal O_F\)-module \(L\) equipped with a quadratic map \(Q:L \rightarrow \mathcal O_F\) for which \(B(x,y)=\frac{1}{2}[Q(x+y)-Q(x)-Q(y)]\) is a symmetric bilinear form on \(L\). Such a lattice \(L\) is said to be positive definite if \(Q(x)\in \mathcal O_F^+\) for all \(x\in L\smallsetminus \{0\}\), and a positive definite lattice \(L\) is said to be universal if \(Q(L)=\mathcal O_F^+ \cup \{0\}\). The first author of the present paper previously proved [Comment. Math. Helv. 75, No. 3, 410--414 (2000; Zbl 1120.11301)] that there exist infinitely many real quadratic fields \(F\) that admit universal positive definite quadratic \(\mathcal O_F\)-lattices of rank \(8\) (in fact, it was shown that there exist free lattices with these properties). In the paper under review, it is shown that \(8\) is the minimal rank with this property. That is, it is proved that for sufficiently large squarefree positive integers \(d\), there do not exist universal positive definite quadratic \(\mathcal O_F\)-lattices of rank \(7\) when \(F=\mathbb Q(\sqrt{d})\). For the special case of diagonal free lattices, this result was established by the first author in [Manuscr. Math. 99, No. 2, 181--184 (1999; Zbl 0961.11016)].