Weierstrass preparation and algebraic invariants (Q2392793)

A common version of the Weierstrass Preparation Theorem is as follows: if T is a complete discrete valuation ring then every element of \(T[\![x]\!]\) can be written as a product of a polynomial and a unit in \(T[\![x]\!]\). Generalizations to smooth \(T\)-curves have been obtained by the authors in [\textit{D. Harbater} et al., Invent. Math. 178, No. 2, 231--263 (2009; Zbl 1259.12003)]. In the paper under review, this is generalized further to \(T\)-curves that need not be smooth. This result is then applied to quadratic forms and central simple algebras over related fields, obtaining results about \(u\)-invariants and the period-index problem over fraction fields of complete two-dimensional rings. Besides the authors' techniques of patching, a key tool in this study is the factorization of matrices, to pass from locally defined objects to more global ones.