Representations of discriminantal divisors by binary quadratic forms (Q2545894)

It is implicit in the work of Gauss on binary quadratic forms that the principal class of discriminant \(d\) represents, besides 1, exactly one divisor of \(d\) from a certain set of those divisors (the so-called discriminantal divisors). It is natural to ask, which divisor is represented? (The case of the divisor being \(-1\) has been studied since the time of Fermat in connection, with the equation, \(t^2 - du^2 = -1.\) In this paper, discriminants \(d = 4pq\), where \(p\equiv q \pmod 4\) are distinct primes, are studied with reference to this problem. The main tool is the arithmetic theory of generalized quaternions, which is used to obtain a complete parametric solution of \(p = x_1^2 + x_2^2 = -x_3^2 + qx_4^2 =x_5^2 + qx_6^2\). The solutions of this system are used to obtain complete answers to the above question in certain cases. Other relevant articles are by \textit{G. Pall} [J. Number Theory 1, 525--533 (1969; Zbl 0186.08602)], \textit{A. Scholz} [Math. Z. 39, 95--111 (1934; Zbl 0009.29402; JFM 60.0126.03)], \textit{L. Rédei} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 173, 193--221 (1935; Zbl 0012.24602; JFM 61.0138.02)] and \textit{G. L. Dirichlet} [``Werke'', Vol. I. Berlin: Reimer (1889; JFM 21.0016.01), p. 221--236]. The author has written more articles on this subject, to appear in [J. Number Theory and J. Reine Angew. Math.